The Common Pursuit: Moisés Kaufman to direct

The Roundabout Theatre are to present a new Off-Broadway production of Simon Grey's comic-drama The Common Pursuit, directed by Moisés Kaufman, opening at the Laura Pels Theatre on 24 May 2012, following previews from 4 May, and running through to 29 Jul 2012.

The cast and creative team are still to be announced.

The Common Pursuit chronicles twenty years in the lives of six friends, from their ambitious collegiate days to their surprising discoveries in the real world. Idealistic Cambridge student Stuart Thorne enlists some of his classmates to help him launch a new literary magazine. With the pursuit of great literature as their common thread, they become lifelong friends. But when damaging secrets crop up and business demands creep in, Stuart is faced with some unexpected decisions.

Todd Haimes, the Roundabout's Artistic Director said, "This is Roundabout's first time producing the work of Simon Gray as well as working with the extraordinary Moisés Kaufman. I always look forward to showing our audiences infrequently revived plays, from the cannon of a brilliant playwright like Simon. For Roundabout, it's gratifying to do plays like The Common Pursuit on the Laura Pels stage, where we can explore these hidden gems in an intimate space. This play is beautifully crafted and it showcases incredibly vivid characters, some of the most memorable ones Simon has written. I think audiences who are new to The Common Pursuit will find it captivating and surprising. And I know Moises' talent and vision will be particularly well-suited for this play."

The Common Pursuit had its American premiere at Long Wharf Theater in 1985. The off-Broadway production in 1986 ran 352 performances and received the 1987 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play.

Moisés Kaufman received a 2004 Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Play for 'I Am My Own Wife,' and a further nomination for Best Play for '33 Variations,' which he both wrote and directed. He work was recently seen on broadway when he directed Rajiv Joseph's 'Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,' which starred Robin Williams. Off-Broadway he recently directed "Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays." Other notable Off-Broadway credits include 'I Am My Own Wife' for which he was nominated for a 2004 Lucille Lortel Nomination for Outstanding Director, and his play 'Gross Indecency:The Trials of Oscar Wilde' nominated for a 1998 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Play.

Simon Grey wrote more than 30 stage plays amongst them 'Butley' and 'Otherwise Engaged' (which both received Evening Standard Awards for Best Play), 'Close of Play,' 'The Rear Column,' 'Quartermaine's Terms' (winner of 8 Obie Awards), 'The Common Pursuit,' 'Hidden Laughter,' 'The Late Middle Classes' (winner of the Barclay's Best Play Award), 'Japes,' 'The Old Masters' (his ninth play to be directed by Harold Pinter) and 'Little Nell,' which premiered at the Theatre Royal Bath in 2007, directed by Peter Hall. In 1990 Simon Gray was awarded the BAFTA Writer's Award. He was appointed CBE in the 2005 New Year's Honours for his services to Drama and Literature.