Demme On Stage

Why is Jonathan Demme directing a Beth Henley play Off Broadway? (Wall St. Journal)

So how did the director of “The Silence of the Lambs” come to work with a small theater? Bernard Telsey, who is co-Artistic Director of MCC (along with Robert Lupone and William Cantler), also runs Bernard Telsey Casting, and cast Demme’s last film, “Rachel Getting Married.” Demme had been talking about casting a film of Henley’s play, which he loved. He decided to have a crack at directing it as a play. Henley has substantially revised the play since its 2000 opening, and will attend rehearsals (starting this coming Tuesday) and continue to revise, says Telsey.