The Jacksonian, Starring Ed Harris & Bill Pullman, and Thomas Bradshaw's Intimacy on Tap for New Group’s New Season

The New Group has announced two new productions for the 2013-14 season: the New York City premiere of Beth Henley's The Jacksonian, starring four-time Oscar nominee Ed Harris, Bill Pullman, Glenne Headly and Amy Madigan, and the world premiere of Thomas Bradshaw’s Intimacy. Both The Jacksonian and Intimacy will premiere at off-Broadway's Acorn Theatre on Theatre Row. An additional production will be announced shortly.

Directed by Robert Falls, The Jacksonian takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1964. The play tells the story of respectable dentist Bill Perch (Harris), who moves into the seedy Jacksonian motel after his wife kicks him out. His downward spiral is punctuated by encounters with his teenage daughter, a gold-digging motel employee (Headly), a treacherous bartender (Pullman) and his now estranged wife (Madigan, who is married to Harris in real life). The Jacksonian is scheduled to begin performances in October 2013.

Intimacy, helmed by New Group artistic director Scott Elliott, tells the story of three families in a well-manicured American town. Interracial couple Jerry and Pat borrow tools from their recently widowed, white evangelical neighbor James, and they even share the same Latino contractor, the mysterious Fred. Everything is suburban bliss until James discovers Jerry and Pat’s daughter Janet is a budding porn star and shuns the family. But James doesn’t know that his son Matthew, an aspiring filmmaker, has other ideas. Casting will be announced shortly. Intimacy is set to begin performances in January 2014.

Harris has appeared on Broadway in Taking Sides and Precious Sons, for which he garnered a Tony nomination. He earned Oscar nominations for Apollo 13, The Truman Show, The Hours and Pollock. His additional film credits include Appaloosa, The Rock, The Abyss, A Beautiful Mind and Gone Baby Gone. Pullman’s Broadway credits include The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, Oleanna and The Other Place. His film credits include Independence Day, While You Were Sleeping, Ruthless People, Lost Highway and Casper. Headly appeared on Broadway in Arms and the Man. Her film and TV credits include Mr. Holland’s Opus, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Dick Tracy and Babe: Pig in the City. She earned Emmy nominations for Bastard Out of Carolina and Lonesome Dove. Madigan appeared on Broadway in A Streetcar Named Desire. Her film and TV credits include Field of Dreams, Gone Baby Gone, Uncle Buck, The Dark Half and Grey’s Anatomy.