Broadway alum Diane Venora will star as Sarah Bernhardt in the West Coast premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Bernhardt/Hamlet at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Previews begin April 7 ahead of an April 16 opening.
Joining Venora (Macbeth) on stage are Nick Boraine (Homeland) as Louis, Alan Cox (The Dictator) as Constant Coquelin, Isaiah Johnson (Hamilton Nat’l Tour) as Edmond Rostand, Shyla Lefner (Between Two Knees) as Rosamond, Raymond McAnally (Size Matters) as Raoul, Rosencrantz (and others), Levenix Riddle (The Chi) as Francois (and others), Paul David Story (Equus) as Maurice, Lucas Verbrugghe (Icebergs) as Alphonse Mucha, and Grace Yoo (Into The Woods at the Hollywood Bowl) as Lysette.
The Sarna Lapine-directed production features a creative team including scenic designer Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams, costume designer Camille Benda, lighting designer Paul Whitaker, and sound designer Leon Rothenberg. Whitney McAnally is the production stage manager; Julie Ann Renfro is the assistant stage manager; and casting is by Phyllis Schuringa.
READ: Why Theresa Rebeck’s Bernhardt/Hamlet Keeps Getting More Relevant
The play, which follows Bernhardt as the thespian takes on Shakespeare’s Danish prince, earned two Tony nominations in 2019.