Jessica Chastain to make Broadway debut in ‘The Heiress’

2011 had been the breakout year for Jessica Chastain. She appeared in The Help, The Tree of Life and Take Shelter, all of which she received critical praise for. In 2012, she will make her debut on Broadway in a new production of The Heiress, based on Henry James’ 1880 novel Washington Square.

According to The Hollywood Reporter the production is set to begin in the fall at a theater that has yet to be announced. Moisés Kaufman, who recently directed Robin Williams in Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, will direct the play.

The New York Times reports that the play will be produced by film producer Paula Wagner with Broadway producers Roy Furman and Stephanie P. McClelland.

The Heiress, written by Ruth Goetz and Augustus Goetz, was first staged in 1947. The 1995 production won the Tony Award for best revival. In 1949, William Wyler directed a fantastic film version that starred Olivia De Havilland in an Oscar-winning performance with Montgomery Clift.

The play centers on a plain-looking, soft-spoken woman, Catherine Sloper, who tries to defy her overbearing father. Chastain will play the role of Catherine.

In a statement, Wagner said she was impressed with Chastain’s performance in a Los Angeles production of Salome with Al Pacino in 2006, according to Reuters. "She is an actress with that rare ability to transition effortlessly between the stage and screen. Moisés Kaufman had the vision to see Jessica as the perfect actress to play one of the great psychologically complex female characters,” she added.

Kaufman also said in a statement that he has been impressed with Chastain’s “...chameleon-like prowess and enormous emotional intelligence; I think she's one of the best actresses of her generation. I'm thrilled to be working with her on The Heiress.”

Chastain was nominated for a supporting actress Golden Globe award for her role in The Help. She was also nominated for a supporting actress Independent Spirit Award for Take Shelter.