More stage stars are signing up for The Cartells, Douglas Carter Beane's upcoming four-part takeoff of prime-time soap operas, to be performed on consecutive Monday nights beginning October 16. A co-production of Drama Dept. and Comix, the shows will be held at Comix and directed by Carl Andress.
Elizabeth Berkley, Jason Butler Harner, Peter Frechette, Peter Hermann, Cady Huffman, Pedro Pascal and Kristen Schaal have joined previously announced Vanessa Aspillaga, Keith Davis, Joanna Gleason, Brian d'Arcy James, David Rakoff and Joey Slotnick in the cast of The Cartells. Frechette will play patriarch Craven Cartell, replacing the previously announced Dylan Baker, who has withdrawn from the production due to scheduling conflicts.
The Cartells is described as being about a wealthy oil family having too much fun in an Aaron Spelling kind of way. It stars Vanessa Aspillaga as Margarita Cartell the number one wife, Elizabeth Berkley as Gamine Cartell the reckless daughter, Keith Davis as Suitor the Biloxi millionaire, Tony Award winner Joanna Gleason as Titsiana Cartell the estranged wife, Jason Butler Harner as Sterling Cartell the younger son, Peter Frechette as Cravin Cartell the patriarch, Peter Hermann as Dank Sellars the media heir, Tony Award winner Cady Huffman as Karma Smugg Cartell the new wife, Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James as Cronin Cartell the number one son, Pedro Pascal as Emanuel the lover, David Rakoff as Hubris the butler, Kristen Schaal as Skeeter Jo Smugg the new wife's daughter and Joey Slotnick as Samson Solomon the attorney. For audience members who miss an episode, each weekly performance will begin with "Previously on The Cartells…" The four episodes are titled "The Eye of the Needle" October 16, "Far Above Rubies" October 23, "Perish the Sword" October 30 and "Cast a Stone" November 6.
The busy Beane will juggle performances of The Cartells with previews of his play The Little Dog Laughed, which begins performances at the Cort Theatre on October 26 and opens on Broadway on November 13.
