Broadway actor Ken Ruta takes on the role of an aged and ailing Francis Biddle — Franklin D. Roosevelt’s attorney general and chief justice of the Nuremberg trials — in TheatreWorks’ production of “Trying,” opening this week in Palo Alto.
In its Northern California premiere, “Trying” opens March 7 and runs through April 1 at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road.
The play, by Joanna McClelland Glass, tells the story of the 81-year-old Mr. Biddle and the 25-year-old secretary he hires to help him finish his memoirs. Sarah, played by Amanda Duarte, is just the latest in a string of secretaries to work with the irritable but elegant old man.
What begins as a mercurial relationship between the two develops into a deep friendship, with each influencing the other in unexpected ways.
The play is being directed by Jack Fletcher.
Mr. Ruta’s Broadway credits include “Inherit the Wind, “Three Sisters” and “The Elephant Man.” Locally, he has appeared in A.C.T.’s “The Circle,” “The Invention of Love,” and “A Christmas Carol.” He also starred in the TheatreWorks’ production of “Old Money.”
Ms. Duarte has performed in productions staged by Magic Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre and California Shakespeare Theatre, among others.
Tickets are $20 to $55. For tickets and information, call 903-6000, or log on at theatreworks.org.
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