Seriously, look at the cast in this play:
FINISHING THE PICTURE Arthur Miller's new drama is a thinly fictionalized version of the turbulent shooting of The Misfits, a film he wrote for his wife Marilyn Monroe, which was plagued by production delays stemming from Monroe's substance abuse and emotional instability. The play focuses not on the strung out starlet (who appears only briefly, nude) but on those who care for and/or use her, including her screenwriter husband (Matthew Modine), director (Harris Yulin in an amusing John Huston impersonation), producer (Stacy Keach), secretary (the brilliant Frances Fisher), cinematographer (Scott Glenn), and leechlike acting coaches (Stephen Lang and Linda Lavin in bitterly comic caricatures of Lee and Paula Strasberg). Miller elevated a nobody into a tragic hero in his masterpiece Death of a Salesman. Here he relies on the fame of his characters' real-life models to keep us interested. This world premiere's fine performances are complemented by director Robert Falls's impressive stagecraft, including the use of cinematic close-ups of the actors during crucial monologues. (AW) Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn, 312-443-3800. Through 11/7: Wed-Thu 7:30 PM, Fri 8 PM, Sat 2 and 8 PM, Sun 2 PM. Sun 11/7, 2 and 7:30 PM. $20-$60.