Tom Hanks Surprises Westport Country Playhouse at 100th Script in Hand Reading

Just hours before curtain on a Monday night in October, Westport Country Playhouse dropped a bombshell that sent ripples through the theater world: Tom Hanks would join Tony Shalhoub and Wendie Malick for the 100th installment of its beloved Script in Hand playreading series. The one-night-only reading of Portrait of a Woman in Repose by Nickie Glossman transformed an already milestone event into an instant piece of Connecticut cultural history.

A Historic Night on the Connecticut Stage

The Westport Country Playhouse, a venerable institution that first opened its doors in 1931, has hosted legends from Tyrone Power and Paul Newman to Liza Minnelli and James Earl Jones. After a full renovation and reopening in 2000—spearheaded by the late Joanne Woodward—the theater launched the Script in Hand series under original organizer Anne Keefe. Since 2018, the series has been overseen by Mark Shanahan, who assumed the role of artistic director in 2023.

Monday’s reading marked the century mark for a program designed to showcase works too large or unwieldy for full production, or new plays still in development. Following Equity guidelines, the actors receive a single five-hour rehearsal on performance day, read from scripts while seated, and stand only when their character speaks. Yet audiences routinely respond with the same emotional investment as a fully staged production, filling in design, sound, and movement with their imaginations.

Star-Studded Cast Joins Milestone Celebration

The reading was already a hot ticket before Hanks’ addition. Tony Shalhoub, a Tony Award winner for The Band’s Visit and celebrated for his Broadway turn in Act One, had previously workshopped Glossman’s play. Wendie Malick, beloved for television roles in Just Shoot Me and Dream On and a veteran of regional stages from the Berkshires to Los Angeles, had been attached for months. The play’s title and their involvement were announced only on October 2, and the sub-600-seat house sold out immediately.

Hanks’ participation remained under wraps until Monday afternoon—a deliberate strategy. “We didn’t want the first 20 minutes of the performance to be about people applauding and screaming and texting their friends,” Shanahan explained. The two-time Oscar winner’s theater credentials run deep: he co-wrote and starred in the cult classic That Thing You Do!, cut his teeth on the sitcom Bosom Buddies, and recently collaborated with director James Glossman on This World of Tomorrow at The Shed in New York City. That connection proved pivotal.

The Play and Its Historical Context

Portrait of a Woman in Repose centers on two survivors of the French Revolution, set in 1818—just five years after the world of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Shanahan programmed it deliberately alongside the playhouse’s mainstage world premiere of Ken Ludwig’s Pride & Prejudice Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley, a comedic romp placing the deposed French emperor in Austen’s drawing rooms. The French Revolution (1789–1799) casts a long shadow over both works, creating a rich thematic dialogue between the mainstage comedy and the Script in Hand drama.

Nickie Glossman’s previous plays include What About Waldorf, The Professional, The Road to Jerusalem, and Devil. Her father, James Glossman—a writer, director, and former actor—directed Monday’s reading, adding a layer of family collaboration to the evening.

Behind the Scenes: How the Casting Came Together

Shanahan emphasized that celebrity casting was never the goal. “Stunt casting or celebrity casting was not a consideration,” he said. The pieces fell into place organically: Shalhoub knew the play; Malick was approached months prior; Hanks, preparing for a new film project on the East Coast this fall, was reached through his prior collaboration with James Glossman. “It seemed like a pie in the sky idea, but it all came together,” Shanahan remarked.

The artistic director’s admiration for the trio extends beyond marquee value. He praised Malick’s comedic timing, referencing a gala reading from Butterflies Are Free she delivered the previous Saturday. Of Shalhoub, he cited a decades-long appreciation for his stage work. And Hanks? “My appreciation extends to Bosom Buddies and That Thing You Do!,” Shanahan said with a grin.

Accessible Theater at Its Core

Perhaps the most remarkable detail: tickets cost $35. The same price as every Script in Hand reading. “We need nights like the gala, which of course are a much higher ticket price,” Shanahan acknowledged, referencing the star-studded fundraiser two nights prior featuring Kelli O’Hara, Santino Fontana, Dan Lauria, James Naughton, Javier Muñoz, and Natasha Yvette Williams. “But we keep the prices for the readings the same every time. That means $35 to see Tom Hanks, Tony Shalhoub and Wendie Malick.”

The playhouse’s promise to artists mirrors its promise to audiences: no interviews, no appearances, no obligations beyond rehearsal and performance. “They can just come and act.”

What’s Next for Westport’s Script in Hand Series

The next Script in Hand reading is scheduled for November 30. Title and cast remain unannounced, but if the 100th edition is any indication, the series continues to punch far above its weight class—proving that world-class theater doesn’t require world-class ticket prices, and that sometimes the most powerful special effect is simply a great play, read by masters of the craft.

For updates and tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org.

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