Jason Sudeikis to star in off-Broadway production of 'Dead Poets Society'

NEW YORK, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis is to star in the Classic Stage Company's fall production of Dead Poets Society.

"At a rigorous all-boys preparatory school renowned for its ancient traditions, the unconventional Professor Keating inspires his students to defy conformity and to live passionately," the company said on its website. "Academy Award-winner Tom Schulman adapts his own screenplay for this much-anticipated production."

The off-Broadway play will be directed by John Doyle. It is scheduled to run Oct. 27 through Dec. 11.

The late Robin Williams earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Keating in the 1989 DPS film, which was directed by Peter Weir and co-starred Ethan Hawke.

Like Williams did, Sudeikis started out as a comic actor, then transitioned to more dramatic roles. Sudeikis' credits include the films Race and The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.