Tony winner Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Desperate Housewives) stars as Senator Margaret Chase Smith opposite Lee Sellars (House of Cards, Luke Cage) as Senator Joseph McCarthy in the world premiere of Tony winner Joe DiPietro’s new play Conscience.
Helmed by George Street Playhouse Artistic Director David Saint, performances begin March 3 at the New Brunswick, New Jersey, venue and are scheduled through March 29.
Harris and Sellars are joined on stage by Mark Junek (The Hairy Ape at The Armory, American Son at George Street Playhouse) as William C. Lewis Jr., Margaret Chase Smith’s longtime strategist and campaign manager, and Cathryn Wake (Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812) as Jean Kerr, a researcher to McCarthy who would later become his wife.
The play follows Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who, in 1950, stood on the Senate floor and delivered her “Declaration of Conscience” in a historic moment of political courage. The new play takes theatregoers behind the scenes of 1950s Washington to offer a intimate glimpse into the power plays leading up to and following the speech that rattled the country.
“It is fitting to be mounting this timely and important world premiere in the Arthur Laurents Theater, as Arthur Laurents himself was among those artists blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee during that time,” Saint said in a recent statement. “We are also thrilled to welcome back Harriet Harris and Lee Sellars to our new home, both of whom will be familiar to our audiences from their powerful work on our stage.”
The production also has set design by Jim Youmans, lighting design by Joe Saint, costume design by Brian Hemesath, sound design by Scott Killian, and wig design by Charles Lapointe. The production stage manager is Samantha Flint. Casting is by McCorkle Casting.
Tony winner DiPietro is represented on Broadway this season with the new musical Diana.
