QUICK TAKES - July 24, 2009

Playwrights are known to cultivate their own informal repertory of most-favored actors, and Neil LaBute is certainly no exception. His stable of reliable thespians includes Aaron Eckhart, Paul Rudd, Stephen Pasquale and Ron Eldard.

Next month, Eldard will take one of the lead roles in LaBute’s “Helter Skelter,” a one-act play about a married couple to run Aug. 21 to Sept. 12 at Hollywood’s Open Fist Theatre.

The play follows the deteriorating relationship between a husband and wife when a cellphone call interrupts their conversation. Eldard plays the husband opposite actress Kate Beahan, who worked with LaBute on his movie “The Wicker Man.”

“Helter Skelter,” which LaBute is also directing, will play alongside a new LaBute one-act drama, “The New Testament.” The plays are part of Open Fist’s First Look Festival. “The New Testament” will star Tim Banning, Benjamin Burdick (who was featured in LaBute’s “Autobahn” at the Open Fist in 2006) and Peter James Smith.

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David Ng