Grace, Burstyn to star in 'Picnic'

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NEW YORK, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Reed Birney, Maggie Grace and Ellen Burstyn are to star in the play "Picnic" on Broadway this winter, the Roundabout Theatre Company said Friday.

The cast will also include Elizabeth Marvel, Sebastian Stan and Mare Winningham as "Flo Owens." Sam Gold is helming the production, which will begin previews Dec. 14 and open officially Jan. 13 at the American Airlines Theatre. The limited engagement is to run through Feb. 24.

"Sensual, passionate and delightfully funny, 'Picnic' is a timeless American classic about the line between restraint and desire," a synopis said. "It's a balmy Labor Day in the American Heartland, and a group of women are preparing for a picnic ... but they'll have to lay a lot on the line before they can lay out the checkered cloths. When a handsome young drifter named Hal arrives, his combination of uncouth manners and titillating charm sends the women reeling, especially the beautiful Madge. When Hal is forced out of town, Madge must decide whether their fleeting encounter is worth changing the course of her life."

"Picnic" premiered on Broadway in 1953 and went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play.