Ethan Hawke - 2007 TONY Awards / WireImage
There are some movie stars and television actors that breeze into NYC and dabble in the theater. They find a plum role and parachute in for 3 or 4 months, cause a stir, grab the headlines and then disappear (think Julie Roberts last season). Then there are those that are in for the long haul. They do new plays in small theaters (Marisa Tomei) , they build long term relationships with exciting theater companies (Michelle Williams and Philip Seymour Hoffman) and they seem genuinely interested in tackling the challenges of live theater that are inherently different from the demands of film and television (Mary Louise Parker). I would like to add another name to the list of those actors who are hooked on New York Theater: Ethan Hawke.
Mr. Hawke has demonstrated a real commitment to the theater over the years. He has acted in several plays (The New Group's Hurlyburly and last season's Coast of Utopia at Lincoln Center for which he earned a TONY nom) and directed many lower profile works such as; Straight to One, Chelsea Walls and The Hottest State. In fact, Hawke got his start in a production of St. Joan at age 13 at the McCarter Theater.
Now he is back on the boards directing a new show Things We Want for The New Group (again) and the show started previews last night and is expected to be a hot ticket - not only because of its director, but as a result of some fantastic actors populating the cast. Josh Hamilton (This I Our Youth, As Bees In Honey Drown) and Peter Dinklage (the movies Death at a Funeral and The Station Agent) are taking the stage for this play.
Things We Want is a new drama by Jonathan Marc Sherman and is described in the press release as "three brothers living together and struggling to cope after the death of both of their parents. While facing their own personal obstacles, a drastic shift in dynamics occurs when a sexy young neighbor suddenly enters their lives." Sounds interesting right? It gets more interesting when you learn that Mr. Sherman was a hot young rising playwright about 10 years ago; until he did a total nose-dive as a result of a very public drinking problem. The show, while not based entirely on his own life, is apparently heavily influenced by those lost years and the road to recovery that lead him to having this play produced in NY.
Hawke, Sherman and cast member Josh Hamilton have known each other for years. Hawke has talked about dealing with Sherman during that dark period of his life. When they were younger Hawke was in Sherman's Sophistry and they started the Malaparte Theater Company together. So this is a bit of a reunion.
In this season of high profile actors doing shows in New York, I think Ethan Hawke is definitely distinguishing himself. I look forward to seeing this show and if it sounds interesting to you - check out Things We Want at The New Group, click HERE for more info.
~ See You On The Aisle
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