Aidan Quinn to appear at Albany's Capital Rep Monday

PHOTOGRAPHER: The Associated Press

Aidan Quinn attends the CBS network upfront presentation May 16, 2012 in New York.

Aidan Quinn, a film and television actor who starred opposite Madonna early in his career in 1985’s “Desperately Seeking Susan,” will play Francis Phelan in the staged reading of William Kennedy’s new play, “The Light of the World,” Monday at 7 p.m. at Capital Repertory Theatre in Albany.

Quinn currently plays Captain Thomas “Tommy” Gregson in the CBS television series “Elementary.” He is of Irish-American descent as is Phelan, one of the many Irish-American characters in Kennedy’s series of Albany cycle books, including his 1984 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “Ironweed.”

In “The Light of the World,” the author reveals the source of the Phelan curse, which has haunted the characters of Kennedy’s Albany cycle books. The play opens as the vagabond and prodigal son, Francis, returns home to attend a family funeral.

The staged reading of Kennedy’s play is part of “Next Act! New Play Summit 3,” being performed at Proctors Saturday and Sunday before moving to Capital Rep on Monday.

Quinn was also in “Reckless” with Darryl Hannah back in 1984, and had other roles in “Avalon” (1990), “Legends of the Fall,” (1994) and “Songcatcher” (2000). His television roles include “Weeds” and “Prime Suspect.”