Elizabeth McGovern, the American actress best known for playing Lady Cora in the British TV and movie franchise “Downton Abbey,” will star in a show headed to Chicago that is based series of real-life interviews given by the Hollywood actress Ava Gardner.

Titled “Ava: The Secret Conversations,” the show was written by McGovern and is directed by Moritz Von Stuelpnagel. Aaron Costa Ganis also appears in the piece, which will run Sept. 24 to Oct. 12 at the Studebaker Theater in Chicago’s Fine Arts Building. Karl Sydow is the producer of this commercial production, managed by Pemberley Productions, which has brought several shows to Chicago.

McGovern becomes the third “Downton Abbey” star to work in Chicago theater, following Brendan Coyle , who appeared at the Goodman Theatre, and Lesle

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