Wiest and Cumpsty Headline Classic Stage Company's 2007-2008 Season

Classic Stage Company's 40th anniversary season will feature Oscar winner Dianne Wiest in The Seagull, frequent Broadway performer Michael Cumpsty in Richard III and a new play directed by Tony winner Walter Bobbie and written by David Ives, titled New Jerusalem.

Shakespeare's Richard III kicks off the season, running from October 31 through December 9 and reuniting star Cumpsty in the title role with director Brian Kulick in their third consecutive CSC collaboration. Last season, the pair worked on Richard II and in 2005 they brought Hamlet to the stage.

From January 2, 2008 through February 10, CSC will present the world premiere of David Ives' New Jerusalem. Tony Award-winning director Walter Bobbie takes the helm of the play, which focuses on the expulsion of the legendary philosopher Baruch de Spinoza from the Jewish community of Amsterdam in the 17th century for his controversial ideas.

Finishing out the starry anniversary season will be the Chekhov classic, The Seagull, starring two-time Academy Award winner Dianne Wiest as Arkadina. This production inaugurates CSC's commitment to exploring Chekhov's extraordinary body of work in the coming seasons and will run from March 5, 2008 through April 13.

In addition to the pieces mentioned above, CSC's 2007-2008 season will also include its First Look Festival, The Young Company which is an educational program focused on the development of young actors and young audiences in New York City, and their Open Rehearsal series.