Paul Newman takes on Steinbeck at revamped theater (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Now that Joanne Woodwardand Anne Keefe are back in charge at the Westport CountryPlayhouse -- both had taken a sabbatical -- things are lookingup again for the 78th season of the venerable Connecticutvenue.

Besides Woodward's 83-year-old husband Paul Newmandirecting a fall production of John Steinbeck's "Of Mice andMen" scheduled for October 7-25, the 2008 slate also willinclude Timothy Busfield ("The West Wing") in Morris Panych'snew play, "Vigil," directed by Stephen DiMenna, which will openthe Westport season February 19-March 15.

That will be followed by a production of Alan Ayckbourn'scomedy "Time of My Life," with Paxton Whitehead and directed byJohn Tillinger (April 1-26); then Craig Wright's play "ThePavilion," directed by Chad Rabinovitz (May 13-31); the musicalrevue "Hot 'n' Cole: A Cole Porter Celebration," devised byDavid Armstrong, Mark Waldrop and Bruce W. Coule (June 10-28);David Wiltse's comedy "Scramble!" directed by Tracey Brigden(July 8-28); and Karoline Leach's thriller "Tryst," with MarkShanahan and directed by Joe Brancato (August 5-23), with otherplays to be announced.

This famous theater was launched in 1931 by the TheatreGuild's Lawrence Langner and his wife, Armina Marshall, using asite that had been built in the 1830s as a cow barn and hassince become one of the East Coast's most famous summertheaters. Spearheaded by Woodward and Keefe, it underwent amultimillion-dollar renovation three years ago and is now notonly state-of-the-art, gleaming, infinitely more comfortableand certainly more ambitious but also has switched to a policymaking it open year-round.

This is the week Oscar invades New York big time: OnFriday, 50 shiny new Academy Award statuettes will go ondisplay for public oohhing and aahhing at ABC's Times SquareStudios, part of a free exhibition that runs through February23.

A similar event was held last year at the same site andenjoyed massive success; equally big crowds are expected thistime around. Besides the sight of those four dozen-plus goldenboys all standing together, visitors also will be able to havea look at the Oscar awarded to Gary Cooper for 1941's "SergeantYork" (presented by Jimmy Stewart to Cooper in early 1942 whileAmerica, and Hollywood, was still reeling from its recent entryinto World War II), as well as the one awarded just last yearto Thelma Schoonmaker for her editing on Martin Scorsese's "TheDeparted."

Cooper's Oscar is courtesy of his daughter, Maria CooperJanis, who also is the niece of the man who created theoriginal Oscar statuette design back in 1927, legendary artdirector Cedric Gibbons. (For the record, there is a similar"Meet the Oscars" display going on in Hollywood in the KodakTheatre; the 50 Oscars there are the ones that will presentedon February 24.)

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter