Jeremy Piven's Speed-the-Plow Arbitration Set for June

Actors’ Equity and the producers of the now-shuttered David Mamet revival Speed-the-Plow have set dates for arbitration to settle the dispute regarding former leading man Jeremy Piven’s early departure from the production. Both Equity and producers will be heard by Arbitrator George Nicolau in New York on June 8 and 9. Speed-the-Plow ended its limited run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre as scheduled on February 22.

Piven, who appeared in the Hollywood satire with co-stars Raul Esparza and Elisabeth Moss, abruptly and unexpectedly withdrew from the production on December 15, citing personal illness due to a high mercury count attributed to too much sushi in his diet. “We have been advised by Jeremy Piven’s medical representatives that he is seriously ill and is unable to fulfill his contractual obligation to Speed-the-Plow. Consequently, he has left the production 10 weeks early,” the play’s producers said in a statement at the time.

Since departing, Piven has given several interviews maintaining the severity of the mercury poisoning, though public appearances and the pending results of a second diagnostic opinion raised questions about the legitimacy of the diagnosis.

Actors’ Equity and the Broadway League failed to reach a decision for one side or the other at a grievance hearing held February 26, prompting the producers of the play, including Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Steve Traxler, JK Productions, Ronald Frankel, Ostar Productions, Peggy Hill, Bat-Barry Productions, Ken Davenport, Scott Delman, Ergo Entertainment, Dede Harris, Alan D. Marks, Patty Ann McKinnon, Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Adam Sansiveri, Jamie deRoy and Carl Moellenberg, to pursue arbitration.

Producers are currently preparing their case against Piven and have requested a wide range of relevant information from the actor relating to his claims that an alleged illness required him to leave the show. “The information requested includes, among other things, medical records and documentation of Mr. Piven's activities both during and after the run of the show,” the group said in a press statement. “The producers have recognized that the information is of a highly sensitive nature and have proposed to the Union that all of the information that is turned over be subject to a strict confidentiality agreement.”