The Hangover’s Justin Bartha to Join Jesse Eisenberg in Asuncion Off-Broadway

Stage and screen vet Justin Bartha will join Oscar-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg in Eisenberg’s off-Broadway playwriting debut, Asuncion, at the Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, according to the Los Angeles Times. Directed by Kip Fagan, the production will begin performances on October 12 at the Cherry Lane Theatre, with opening night set for October 27.

In Asuncion, Bartha will play Vinny, a progressive academic, opposite Eisenberg as Edgar, a left-wing blogger. When a young Filipina woman named Asuncion becomes their third roommate, the pair have a perfect opportunity to demonstrate just how open minded they are.

Bartha, who is currently appearing off-Broadway in Zach Braff's All New People, told the Times he would like to continue working in theater, owing in part to a dearth of dramatically interesting roles in film. "Unless you're Brad Pitt or one of five or 10 actors, you don't really get a chance to play the kind of film roles you'd like to," he said. "Theater is a good way to counterbalance that."

Bartha made his Broadway debut in the 2010 revival of Lend Me a Tenor, directed by Stanley Tucci. His film credits include The Hangover and The Hangover II, as well as National Treasure; National Treasure: Book of Secrets; New York, I Love You and Gigli. He co-starred with Eisenberg in the film Holy Rollers, about Hasidic Ecstasy dealers.