Austin Pendelton, a faculty member in the Directing department at The New School for Drama, has directed the Classic Stage Company’s current all star production of Anton Chekov’s Uncle Vanya. The play is currently in previews with opening night set for February 12, and features Mamie Gummer, Maggie Gyllenhaal, George Morfogen, Peter Sarsgaard, and Denis O'Hare in the title role. At Drama, Pendleton teaches a special seminar class, “Directing Chekhov and Beckett,” for the second-year MFA directing students.

Uncle Vanya is Chekhov's tragicomic masterpiece of dashed dreams, thwarted love, and eternal longing, and is a mixture of farce and anguish, hopeless infatuations, old grudges, and ironic humor. A man and his niece have spent their lives caring for the country estate of a writer they regard as a great man. But when it becomes apparent, during one of the writer's infrequent visits that he's really a failure, Uncle Vanya and his niece painfully awaken to the fact that their lives have been wasted as well.

In addition to teaching at Drama, Pendleton also teaches acting at HB Studio here in New York City. He is also an actor, director and playwright; his latest play, Orson's Shadow, was recently published by Dramatists' Play Service. He has acted and directed on and off-Broadway, in many regional theatres, on television, and in over 75 movies. He has worked extensively at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and is an ensemble member at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

Visit www.classicstage.org  for more production information.