The Language Archive: Roundabout announces cast

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced the full company for the upcoming New York premiere of The Language Archive, a new play by Julia Cho, directed by Mark Brokaw. The cast will feature Betty Gilpin (Emma), John Horton (Resten), Jayne Houdyshell (Alta), Matt Letscher (George) & Heidi Schreck (Mary).

The Language Archive opens at the Laura Pels Theatre on 17 Oct 2010, following previews from 24 Sep, and will play a limited engagement through to 19 Dec 2010.

The play is a poignant and quirky comedy that seems to prove love is the one language that can leave us all at a loss for words. George is a man consumed with preserving and documenting the dying languages of far-flung cultures. Closer to home, though, language is failing him. He doesn't know what to say to his wife, Mary, to keep her from leaving him, and he doesn't recognize the deep feelings that his lab assistant, Emma, has for him.

The design team includes Neil Patel (Sets), Michael Krass (Costumes), Marc McCullough (Lights) & David Van Tieghem (Sound).

Roundabout commissioned The Language Archive, which won the 2010 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize awarded to an outstanding new English-language play by a woman. The play had its world premiere at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California in March 2010, produced by special arrangement with Roundabout and directed by Roundabout Associate Artist Mark Brokaw.

Bios:

Betty Gilpin (Emma) Off-Broadway credits: 'That Face' (MTC City Center), 'Boys Life' (Second Stage) and 'Good Boys and True' (Second Stage). John Horton (Resten) Broadway credits include 'A Touch of the Poet,' 'Noises Off,' 'Kiss Me, Kate,' 'Golden Child,' 'London Assurance,' 'The Homecoming,' 'Amadeus,' 'Bedroom Farce.' Off-Broadway credits: 'Engaged,' 'Love's Labours Lost' and 'The Rear Column.' Television: "Law & Order: CI," "NY Undercover," "Liberty," "Benjamin Franklin," "Trinity," "One Life to Live," "George Washington". Film: "Shawshank Redemption," "Thinner," "Donnie Brasco."

Jayne Houdyshell (Alta). Broadway credits: Well (Tony Nomination), 'Bye Bye Birdie,' 'Wicked,' ([Madame Morrible) and 'A Wonderful Life.' Off-Broadway: 'The New Century' at Lincoln Center Theater, 'The Receptionist' at Manhattan Theatre Club (2008 Lucille Lortel Nomination), 'The Pain and the Itch,' 'Well' at the Public Theatre (2004 Obie Award and Lucille Lortel Award Nominations). Film: "Everbody's Fine," "Garden State," "Changing Lanes," "Trust The Man," and "Things That Hang From Trees." Television: "Unorthodox", "Conviction", "Law & Order", "Law & Order: Criminal Intent", "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Third Watch".

Matt Letscher's (George) Broadway credits: 'The Rivals' and 'Proposals.' Films include "Straight-Jacket," "Identity," "Gods and Generals," "Madison," "Supersucker," "Lovelife," "The Mask of Zorro" and, most recently, Alan Ball's "Nothing is Private," opposite Toni Colette. Television work includes series regular roles on "Good Morning Miami," Fox's "Living in Captivity," CBS' "Almost Perfect" and ABC's "Eli Stone" and starring roles in TNT's "King of Texas," ABC's "The Beach Boys: An America Family" and NBC's "Jackie, Ethel, and Joan: Women of Camelot."

Heidi Schreck (Mary) recently starred Off-Broadway in Circle Mirrir Transformation (Playwrights Horizons). New York theatre credits include 'Drum of the Waves...' (Two-Headed Calf at HERE), 'Open House' (The Foundry), 'Amazons and Their Men' (Clubbed Thumb), 'Unfold Me' (SPF 2007), 'Women of Trachis' (Target Margin), 'Major Barbara' (Two-Headed Calf/La MaMa), 'The Internationalist' (13P at the Culture Project). Film credits include "Hedda Gabler" and "Perfidia."

Julia Cho (Playwright) is the author of 'The Piano Teacher,' 'Durango,' 'The Winchester House,' 'BFE,' 'The Architecture of Loss' and '99 Histories,' which have been produced at SCR, The Vineyard Theatre, The Public Theater, Long Wharf Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, New York Theatre Workshop, East West Players and The Theatre @ Boston Court among others.

Mark Brokaw (Director). Broadway: 'After Miss Julie,' 'Cry Baby,' 'The Constant Wife' and 'Reckless.' 'Distracted,' 'Suddenly Last Summer,' 'The Constant Wife.' His Many Off-Broadway credits include 'How I Learned to Drive' at the Century Center For The Performing Arts (Lucilleand OBIE Award), 'This is Our Youth' (Lucille Award) 'The Long Christmas Ride Home' at the Vineyard Theatre and 'Lobby Hero' at Playwrights Horizons for which he was nominated for Lucille Lortel Awards.