Tony Winner Mark Rylance to Star in and Direct World Premiere of His New Play Nice Fish at the Guthrie

Two-time Tony winner Mark Rylance has an affinity for reciting the work of poet Louis Jenkins at award show podiums, and now the actor is teaming with the poet for a new play at Minneapolis' Guthrie Theatre. Rylance will star in the world premiere of Nice Fish, which he co-wrote with Jenkins. Co-directed by Rylance and his wife Claire van Kampen, the play will run April 6 through May 18, with an official opening set for April 12.

In addition to Rylance, Nice Fish will star Jim Lichtscheidl (Confessions of Lee Harvey Oswald, Arms and the Man) as Eric, Emily Swallow (TV’s Monday Mornings, Southland) as Flo and Chris Carlson (Guthrie’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, God of Carnage) as Wayne.

Nice Fish follows Eric (Lichtscheidl) and Ron (Rylance) as they venture out ice fishing during the last blizzard of the Mid-western winter. All does not go as planned when they encounter mythic individuals who provide the pair with “a little bit of a challenge.”

The production will feature set design by Todd Rosenthal, costumes by Ilona Somogyi, lighting by Mimi Sherin and sound design Scott W. Edwards. Van Kampen will also provide the show’s original music.

Rylance won Tony Awards for Boeing-Boeing and Jerusalem. While accepting both trophies, he recited poetry by Jenkins. His  previous Guthrie performances include Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure and Peer Gynt. An Olivier Award winner, he was most recently on the London stage in Richard III and Twelfth Night.

Click below to see Rylance deliver some of Jenkins' prose at the 2011 Tony Awards.