Theater News

Jill Clayburgh Replaces Christine Lahti in The Busy World Is Hushed

Jill Clayburgh
(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)
Jill Clayburgh
(Photo © Joseph Marzullo)

Jill Clayburgh will replace Christine Lahti in the world premiere production of Keith Bunin’s The Busy World Is Hushed at Playwrights Horizons. The show, which co-stars Hamish Linklater and Luke MacFarlane, will be directed by Mark Brokaw. The show will now run June 2-July 9, with an official opening on June 25.

Lahti said family obligations require her to return to the West Coast. Clayburgh is currently wrapping her run as Mrs. Banks in Barefoot in the Park, and starred earlier this season on Broadway in A Naked Girl on the Appian Way. She is also a former Academy Award and Emmy Award nominee.

The play focuses on Hannah (Clayburgh), a minister and bible scholar who finds her faith at odds with that of her estranged son, Thomas (MacFarlane). But when Brandt (Linklater), an inquisitive young writer discovers secrets from Hannah’s past, a risky opportunity for reconciliation may be in order. Bunin’s previous plays include The Credeaux Canvas and The World Over, which were also presented by Playwrights Horizons.

The show’s creative team includes Allen Moyer (set design), Michael Krass (costume design), M.L. Geiger (lighting design), and Lewis Flinn (sound design and original music). Brokaw’s New York credits include Reckless, The Constant Wife, Lobby Hero, This Is Our Youth and How I Learned to Drive.

Linklater’s stage credits include Cyclone, Recent Tragic Events, The Chemistry of Change, and Hamlet. He is also co-starring in the new CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. MacFarlane has appeared Off-Broadway in Where Do We Live and Juvenilia.

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