Patriot Acts

Being back in New York is a big switch for Shepard. He and Jessica Lange recently sold their house in Minnesota and their 300-acre cattle ranch in Wisconsin and bought a new place in Kentucky, though they're staying in the West Village for the time being, since Lange goes into rehearsal herself in January for a Broadway revival of The Glass Menagerie. When A Number finishes its run in January, Shepard plans to head back to Kentucky, to ride his horses and work on a new book of stories, but he may be back and forth looking in on the Roundabout's revival of Fool for Lovethat opens in February and promoting Don't Come Knockin', the new Wim Wenders film he wrote and co-stars in with Lange. The future of The God of Hellremains to be seen.

"In a terrible way," Shepard says, "the election has caused the play to have more bite." He pauses and says very quietly, "I'd have sooner swapped."