Film actress Natasha Lyonne has signed on for the New Group's forthcoming American premiere of Mike Leigh's Two Thousand Years. Directed by Leigh's frequent collaborator Scott Elliott, the production will begin previews at the Acorn Theatre on Theatre Row on January 15, 2008, and open on January 31.
In addition to Lyonne, whose movie credits include Slums of Beverly Hills, American Pie, But I'm a Cheerleader, Die Mommie Die and Goyband, the cast of Two Thousand Years includes Yuval Boim, David Cale (Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky, Threepenny Opera, Present Laughter), Laura Esterman (Marvin's Room, Curtains, Cranes), Jordan Gelber (Avenue Q, Birth and After Birth, The Joke), Merwin Goldsmith (Me and My Girl, Slab Boys), Cindy Katz (Amadeus, Well) and Richard Masur (Democracy, A Feminine Ending, The Burning Bed, One Day at a Time).
Two Thousand Years tells the story of an assimilated Jewish family whose quiet life in suburban London gets turned upside down when their son becomes seriously devout. The play received its world premiere at the National Theatre in London in 2005. Elliott and the New Group have presented several acclaimed productions of works by Leigh, including Ecstasy, Goose-pimples, Smelling a Rat and Abigail's Party.
