Film actress and Academy Award nominee Annette Bening is moving back to the stage. Having gotten her start in the American Conservatory Theater , Bening was originally a theatrically trained actress. She made her film debut in 1988’s The Great Outdoors and went on to receive critical acclaim for her performances in movies like The Kids Are Alright , and American Beauty. But now it seems Annette is getting back to her roots, taking roles in multiple theatrical productions.
According to PlayBill.com , Bening recently finished a one-woman show at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles titled Ruth Draper’s Monologues, which consisted of a collection of character-based monologues written by dramatist Ruth Draper. Annette said of the show: “I am in awe of Ruth Draper. Performing these monologues is a great honor for me, and I look forward to the formidable challenge of breathing life into these stunning pieces.”
BroadwayWorld.com described the various characters as “the harried society woman, the hostess, the debutante and the instructress of poise,” and claimed that “Bening embraces and embodies these monologues in a tour-de-force premiere.” Ruth Draper’s Monoglues was Bening’s third performance at the Geffen Playhouse, having previously appeared in Female of the Species and Hedda Gabler.
Bening’s one-woman show just concluded on May 18 and she’s already been cast in another stage show. According to The New York Daily News , Annette Bening will be appearing in a Shakespeare in the Park production of King Lear at the Public Theater in New York.
Annette will portray the wicked daughter of King Lear, Goneril, opposite John Lithgow. Bening’s on-stage sisters will be portrayed by Jessica Hecht and Jessica Collins. This will be the first production of King Lear for Shakespeare in the Park since 1973. The show will run from July 22 to August 17.
The last time Annette Bening appeared on a theater stage was in 1988 in Coastal Disturbances alongside Timothy Daly. Her success in Hollywood kept her away from the theater for over two decades, but Bening seems eager for a comeback. There are no reports so far that Annette has any intention to abandon her big screen career, however.
Bening’s most recent film The Face of Love was released in select theaters in March of this year. Despite featuring big-name stars like Annette Bening herself, Robin Williams and Ed Harris, the movie received an aggregate 42% rating from Rotten Tomatoes , based on 52 reputable reviews. A minor low point in a successful film career, maybe, but Bening’s return to the stage is likely bring the same kind of quality performances that earned her four Oscar nominations.