Holly Hunter To Star in New Play Off Broadway

The lights are definitely back on at the Flea Theater in TriBeCa, which like many downtown theaters struggled in the wake of Hurrican Sandy. The Flea announced on Friday that Holly Hunter, an Oscar winner for “The Piano,” will star in the premiere of “The Vandal,” in January.

Described as “a play about death and vandalism in Kingston, N.Y.,” “The Vandal” is by the actor Hamish Linklater, best known for his stage turns in “Seminar” and “The School for Lies” as well as his television role in “The New Adventures of Old Christine.” Jim Simpson, the Flea's founder and artistic director, will direct the play, which begins previews January 18 for a January 31 opening. Ms. Hunter's costars will include Zach Grenier and Noah Robbins.

The Flea, which has two stages, also announced that it will present the New York premiere of Amy Freed's ‘‘Restoration Comedy,” directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar (“These Seven Sicknesses”) and starring The Bats, the theater's resident acting company. Previews begin November 25, with a Dec. 10 opening night. And after a sold-out run and extension - and a Sandy-enforced break - Thomas Bradshaw's “Job” will return to play from Jan. 4 to 28.