Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard and Denis O'Hare to Headline CSC's Uncle Vanya

Starry film and stage couple Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard have joined the cast of Classic Stage Company’s upcoming off-Broadway production of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, starring Tony Award winner Denis O’Hare in the title role and directed by Austin Pendleton. Uncle Vanya will begin previews on January 17, 2009, at Classic Stage Company for a limited engagement through March 1. Opening night has not been set.

In addition to O’Hare, Gyllenhaal Yelena Adreevna and Sarsgaard Astrov, Uncle Vanya will feature Mamie Gummer Sonya, Louis Zorich Waffles, George Morfogen Srebryakov, Delphi Harrington Maria and Cyrilla Baer Marina.

In Chekhov’s tragicomic masterpiece of dashed dreams, thwarted love and eternal longing, the title character is the quintessential superfluous man, who wakes up one morning to discover he has wasted his life in the service of others. The play was first performed at the Moscow Art Theater in 1899, directed by Constantin Stanislavsky.

Gyllenhaal, who has appeared onstage in Tony Kushner’s Homebody/Kabul and Patrick Marber's Closer, is known for her performances in films such as Sherrybaby Golden Globe nomination, Secretary Golden Globe nomination, The Dark Knight, Donnie Darko, Happy Endings and World Trade Center.

Sarsgaard is currently co-starring as Trigorin in the Broadway production of The Seagull and has appeared onstage in Burn This and Kingdom of Earth. His many films include Shattered Glass, Boys Don’t Cry, Kinsey, Garden State, Jarhead, The Dying Gaul and Rendition.

O’Hare, who starred in CSC's production of in Yasmina Reza’s A Spanish Play, won a Tony Award for Take Me Out. His Broadway credits include a Tony-nominated performance in Assassins as well as revivals of Inherit the Wind, Cabaret, Major Barbara and Cabaret.

Pendleton has directed Uncle Vanya twice before and has played Vanya several times. His production will feature scenic design by Santo Loquasto, who designed CSC’s production of The Seagull last season as well as Lincoln Center’s famed production of The Cherry Orchard in 1977. Costume design is by Suzy Benzinger, and lighting design is by Jason Lyons.