Martin Sheen to Star in L.A. Production of The Subject Was Roses

Martin Sheen will return to the stage for the first time in almost two decades in the Los Angeles revival of a play he knows well: The Subject Was Roses, the Frank D. Gilroy drama that earned him a 1965 Tony Award nomination. This time the actor, who originated the role of Timmy Cleary in the Broadway premiere before reprising the part in the 1968 screen adaptation, will take on the part of John, Timmy's father. The production, directed by Neil Pepe, begins performances at the Mark Taper Forum on February 10, 2010, opening February 21 and playing through March 21.

Sheen is joined by Frances Conroy as Nettie and Brian Geraghty as Timmy. The play follows Timmy, a sickly child grown into a distinguished soldier, as he returns from a stint in the army. After being welcomed home open arms, Timmy's family begins to unwind when he brings his mother roses, a thoughtful gesture that begins to uncover long-hidden marital rifts.

The Subject Was Roses opened on Broadway on May 25, 1964 and ran for two years, winning the 1965 Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Sheen and stage father Jack Albertson competed for a Best Featured Actor Tony Award, which Albertson won.

Sheen's Broadway credits include Never Live Over a Pretzel Factory, Death of a Salesman and The Crucible. Numerous film credits include Rage, Apocalypse Now, Enigma, That Championship Season, Gandhi, Wall Street, We the People, Catch Me If You Can and The Confidence Game. He is best known to TV audiences as President Jed Bartlet from the hit series The West Wing.

Conroy's numerous Broadway credits include The Lady from Dubuque, Our Town, The Secret Rapture, Two Shakespearean Actors, Broken Glass, The Little Foxes and The Ride Down Mt. Morgan, which earned her a Tony Award nomination. Best known for her five seasons on HBO's award-winning Six Feet Under, she has been seen on screen in The Aviator, Broken Flowers, Shopgirl, Stay Cool and Love Happens.

Geraghty was recently seen in the criticially acclaimed film The Hurt Locker. Additional credits include Bobby, The Guardian, The Elder Son, We Are Marshall, An American Crime, I know Who Killed Me, Love Lies Bleeding and Easier with Practice.

The Subject was Roses replaces the Mark Taper Forum's previously announced season opener Speed-the-Plow, also slated to be directed by recent Broadway revival helmer Pepe. No reason for pulling the play was given.