New cast member and opening date for Troilus & Cressida
The Public Theater has announced a cast change and a new opening date for its "Shakespeare in the Park" production of Troilus & Cressida, which began performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park on 19 July and will play through to 14 August 2016.
Louis Cancelmi has joined the cast, replacing David Harbour as Achilles. Mr Harbour had to withdraw due to an injury sustained during previews. Mr Cancelmi last appeared on the Delacorte stage in 'The Tempest' as Caliban. Other Public Theater credits include 'Father Comes Home from the Wars' and 'The Singing Forest.' He has also appeared on Broadway and in London's West End in 'Vincent in Brixton.'
The Public Theater has also delayed the production's official opening night. Originally scheduled for 3 August, Troilus & Cressida will now officially open on 9 August 2016.
Director Dan Sullivan's modern take on Shakespeare's tale of perpetual war Troilus and Cressida features (in alphabetical order) Zach Appelman (Diomedes), Tala Ashe (Helen, Andromache), Alex Breaux (Ajax), Andrew Burnap (Troilus), Louis Cancelmi (Achilles), Max Casella (Thersites), Sanjit De Silva (Aeneas), John Glover (Pandarus), Bill Heck (Hector), Edward James Hyland (Nestor), Maurice Jones (Paris), Ismenia Mendes (Cressida), Nneka Okafor (Cassandra), Tom Pecinka (Patroclus), Miguel Perez (Priam, Calchas), Corey Stoll (Ulysses) and John Douglas Thompson (Agamemnon).
The non-equity ensemble includes Connor Bond, Andrew Chaffee, Michael Bradley Cohen, Lee Edward Colston II, Paul Deo Jr., Jin Ha, Hunter Hoffman, Nicholas Hoge, Forrest Malloy, and Kario Pereira-Bailey.
Synopsis: "Both warriors and lovers play hard to get in this surprisingly modern epic about the hot blood, hot thoughts and hot deeds of the ancient Greeks. In the seventh year of the Trojan War, Troilus, a young prince, pines for the affections of Cressida, a bright young woman who knows how to play it cool. Meanwhile, the heroes of the Iliad - Ajax, Ulysses, Achilles and the kings they serve - debate whether to return the dangerously beautiful captive Helen or continue to fight without end. Nations and lovers alike do battle in this sly, piercing drama about romance and revenge in a world at war."
The creative team for Troilus and Cressida features set and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Robert Wierzel, sound design by Mark Menard, and music composition by Dan Moses Schreier.
This season continues a 54-year tradition of free theatre at Central Park's Delacorte Theater, and also marks the 400th Anniversary since the death of William Shakespeare.
Tickets to all of the Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park are distributed, two per person, at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park on the day of each show.
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