Frances McDormand Starring in 'Good People' on Broadway

Frances McDormand has been cast in Manhattan Theatre Club's world premiere Broadway production of Good People, according to Playbill.com. The new play, written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire, will be directed by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan. McDormand, who will play Margie Walsh, is the first announced cast member of the production.

MTC’s description of the play, from the official press release:

Welcome to Southie, a Boston neighborhood where a night on the town means a few rounds of bingo… where this month's paycheck covers last month's bills… and where Margie Walsh has just been let go from yet another job. Facing eviction and scrambling to catch a break, Margie thinks an old fling who has made it out of Southie might be her ticket to a fresh new start. But is this apparently self-made man secure enough to face his humble beginnings? Margie is about to risk what little she has left to find out.

With his signature humorous glow, Lindsay-Abaire explores the struggles, shifting loyalties and unshakeable hopes that come with having next to nothing in America.

McDormand is no stranger to Broadway, but it is nevertheless a bit comical to hear about her return to the stage immediately after she pops up in Transformers 3. The Academy Award winner has always been versatile in her choice of parts, but the artistic gap between projects has never been quite so large.

Regardless of the summer blockbuster, though, her resume is impressive, including Fargo, Something's Gotta Give, Almost Famous, and a Tony nomination for A Streetcar Named Desire. I have no doubt that she will shine, and probably will earn another Tony nomination (prompting another round of complaints that Hollywood is taking over Broadway, maybe?). Her energy is also a great fit for Lindsay-Abaire and Sullivan, who collaborated on MTC’s Tony-winning Rabbit Hole.

Good People will play at MTC's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Previews will begin Feb. 8, 2011, with an opening night of March 3.

-- Elizabeth Espinoza