Judith Ivey Joins Jessica Chastain in The Heiress; Revival Sets Dates at Walter Kerr Theatre

Two-time Tony winner Judith Ivey will star as Aunt Penniman in the forthcoming Broadway revival of Ruth and Augustus Goetz’s The Heiress. Ivey joins previously announced Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain as Catherine Sloper, Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens as Morris Townsend and David Strathairn as Dr. Austin Sloper. Directed by Moises Kaufman, The Heiress begins previews October 7 at the Walter Kerr Theatre, with opening night set for November 1. The production will play a limited engagement through February 10, 2013. 

Based on the novel Washington Square by Henry James, The Heiress is the story of Catherine Sloper (Chastain), a wealthy but plain-looking woman who is caught between her grief-stricken father (Strathairn) and a mysterious, handsome suitor, Morris Townsend (Stevens). Although Catherine is smitten by the suitor, her father suspects he is only after the family’s money. The Heiress originally opened on Broadway on September 29, 1947, at the Biltmore Theatre, and ran for 410 performances before closing on September 18, 1948. The most recent revival, in 1995, starred Tony winner Cherry Jones as Catherine Sloper, Jon Tenney as Morris Townsend, Philip Bosco as Dr. Austin Sloper and Frances Sternhagen as Aunt Penniman.

Ivey won Tony Awards for Steaming and Hurlyburly, and earned an additional nomination for Park Your Car in Harvard Yard. Her other Broadway credits include Follies, Voices in the Dark, Blithe Spirit, Precious Sons, Piaf and Bedroom Farce. Her film and TV credits include The Devil’s Advocate, Flags of Our Fathers, What Alice Found and The Woman in Red.

The creative team for The Heiress includes costume designer Derek McLane, costume designer Albert Wolsky, lighting designer David Lander, original music designer Peter Golub and sound designer Leon Rothenberg.