Joe Mantello to Direct U.S. Premiere of Blackbird at MTC

Joe Mantello will direct the U.S. premiere production of David Harrower’s Blackbird at Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I. The play will begin previews March 15, with an opening date set for April 10. Casting will be announced at a later date.

One of the most talked-about plays to come out of London in years, this volatile piece begins when a woman named Una shows up unexpectedly at the office of a man named Ray, forcing him to come to terms with the effects of their relationship.

Mantello is currently represented on Broadway by the musical Wicked and the revivals of Three Days of Rain and The Odd Couple. He has received Tony Awards for his direction of Assassins and Take Me Out, and he is also the recipient of Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, Helen Hayes, Clarence Derwent, OBIE, and Joe A. Callaway awards.

For more information on MTC’s 2006-2007 season, visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.