Actor Matthew Rhys, known for his role in "The Americans," will perform a dramatic reading of the one-act play "Dear Mr. Thomas: A New Play For Voices" at the 92NY in New York. The event is set to take place on May 14, 2024, as part of the arts center's 150th anniversary celebrations. Rhys's co-star from "The Americans," Keri Russell, as well as other actors, will join him in the performance.
The play, by writer Christopher Monger, explores the turbulent final years of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, specifically focusing on his relationship with John Malcolm Brinnin, who played a pivotal role in Thomas’s U.S. tours starting in 1950. These tours introduced Thomas’s unique style of poetry readings across America and heightened his fame, but also brought about significant personal challenges for Thomas due to his excessive lifestyle.
Dylan Thomas became an influential figure in the poetry scene, with vibrant performances that transformed the perception of poetry in the U.S. His well-known reading of "Under Milk Wood" took place on May 14, 1953, at the 92NY, coincidentally aligning with the 71st anniversary of the upcoming 2024 performance.
Tragically, Thomas died at the age of 39 in New York, shortly after his celebrated performances, under circumstances that remain debated. The reading includes a cast that links directly to Thomas’s legacy, notably Kate Burton, whose father, Richard Burton, was a close acquaintance of Thomas and contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of his works.
Rhys and Russell's collaboration in this reading marks a significant professional reunion, adding a personal dimension to this commemorative performance.