Readings at the A.R.T.
With Lorrie Moore and Special Guest Star Wallace Shawn

PEN's celebration of the short story continues on Monday, October 25, at 7:30 pm, with dramatic readings from Best American Short Stories 2004® at the American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.) in Cambridge. Now in its sixth year, this gala evening is co-sponsored by Houghton Mifflin Co., and coincides with their publication of the annual anthology. 2004 guest editor Lorrie Moore will introduce each story, which will then be performed by an acclaimed actor. Past performers have included Debra Winger, Hume Cronyn, Anne Jackson, and Eli Wallach.

This year's guest star is Wallace Shawn*, one of the film industry's most recognizable character actors with a long list of movie and television credits.

He has appeared in over 50 films in a career that began, and continues, as a writer. Shawn, a New York City native, was actually once a schoolteacher, having taught Latin and drama in New York, and English in India. A life long writer whose playwriting career began in 1967, Wallace translated Machiavelli's play "The Mandrake" for a Joseph Papp production in 1977, and was asked by the director to appear in it, marking his acting debut. Since then he has appeared in "Uncle Vanya," "Carmilla," and other plays.

Other plays written by Wallace followed, including "Aunt Dan and Lemon," and "The Fever." The National Theater in London produced the most recent Shawn play, "The Designated Mourner," featuring Mike Nichols and Miranda Richardson. Those two stars reprised their roles in the BBC Films production of "The Designated Mourner" released to critical acclaim in the summer of 1997.

Casting director Juliet Taylor saw Wallace in "The Mandrake, then recommended and ultimately cast him in Woody Allen's "Manhattan." Allen later used him in "Radio Days", "Shadows and Fog" and "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion". Shawn went on to appear in four films by Louis Malle, "Vanya on 42nd Street," "My Dinner With André," "Atlantic City" and "Crackers." Wallace appeared in Amy Heckerling's "Clueless"; Blake Edwards' "Mickey and Maude"; Rob Reiner's "The Princess Bride"; Stephen Frears' "Prick Up Your Ears," James Ivory's "The Bostonians" and Rebecca Miller's "Personal Velocity". Other notable credits include "My Favorite Martian," "Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills," "The Hotel New Hampshire," and "The Moderns." Upcoming releases include "The Haunted Mansion" starring Eddie Murphy and "Duplex" with Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore.

In addition to having a recognizable face, Shawn's distinctive voice fueled the performance of the nervous dinosaur, Rex, in "Toy Story" as well as it's sequel "Toy Story 2." He can also be heard in "The Goofy Movie" and "Teacher's Pet: The Movie". Wallace has also regularly appeared in such highly regarded television series' as "Murphy Brown," "The Cosby Show" and "Taxi", along with special appearances on "Clueless," "Civil Wars", "Crossing Jordan", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" and the PBS presentation, "How To Be a Perfect Person in Three Days." Movies made for television include "Monte Walsh" starring Tom Selleck, "Mr. St. Nick" starring Kelsey Grammer and "Blonde" with Poppy Montgomery as the legendary Marilyn Monroe.

Reception

A reception at 7:00, sponsored by Whole Foods (River Street Store, Cambridge), will precede the Readings. Please pick up your tickets at the A.R.T. box office and join us for wine and cheese. Don't miss out on this New England tradition!

(* Schedule permitting, Wallace Shawn will read.)