Cross-dressing period drama to close Tribeca festival

The Tribeca Film Festival will close May 8 with the world premiere of Stage Beauty, a period piece starring Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, and Rupert Everett. Director Richard Eyre's project is based on a real-life actor in 1660s London who made a successful career portraying female characters but whose livelihood was threatened when men were barred from playing women onstage. The move to bring Beauty to the Tribeca festival marks a homecoming of sorts for the film: Tribeca founders Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro, along with Hardy Justice, are the film's producers. The cast also features Ben Chaplin, Tom Wilkinson, Richard Griffiths, and Zoe Tapper. Jeffrey Hatcher penned the screenplay, based on his own stage play. The film is slated to hit theaters in October, distributed by Lions Gate. The Tribeca Film Festival opens May 1 and takes place in various locations throughout Lower Manhattan. (Reuters)