Shakespeare in the Park: early casting announced

The Public Theater has announced early casting for the 2010 Shakespeare in the Park summer season. Daniel Sullivan will direct The Merchant of Venice in rotating rep with The Winter's Tale, directed by Michael Greif.

The repertory company will feature Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Solanio/Young Shepherd); Jesse L. Martin (Gratiano/Polixenes); Al Pacino (Shylock); Lily Rabe (Portia/First Gentlewoman); Ruben Santiago-Hudson as (Prince of Morocco/Leontes); and Max Wright (Old Gobbo/Old Shepherd).

Due to a scheduling conflict with rehearsals, Pacino will only appear inThe Merchant of Venice. Complete casting for both plays being performed in repertory with the same core company of actors will be announced at a later date.

Shakespeare in the Park 2010 is not The Public Theater's first foray into rotating repertory. 'Henry IV,' Parts One and Two were performed in rep in the Newman Theater in 1991, and 20 years earlier, the 'Henry VI' plays and 'Richard III 'were condensed into 'The War of the Roses' which was presented in rep and then performed in one all-night marathon in Central Park.

"We have an extremely exciting and impressive core of actors for our rep company in the Park. I couldn't be happier to put these skilled and passionate American artists on the Delacorte stage," said Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. "We are so grateful to Bank of America, who has returned in 2010 as season sponsor, for supporting The Public's mission to keep Shakespeare in the Park free."

Further casting and design teams to be announced at a later date.

Previews for Shakespeare in the Park 2010 will begin on 9 Jun 2009 and run through to 1 Aug 2010. Daniel Sullivan (Director, The Merchant of Venice) directed the 2009 Shakespeare in the Park production of 'Twelfth Night.' Also at The Public, he has directed 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (2007), 'Stuff Happens' (2006) and 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' (1994). Sullivan is a seasoned Broadway producer who has helmed more than 20 Broadway productions. He won a Tony for his production of 'Proof' and received nominations for 'The Heidi Chronicles,' 'Conversations With My Father,' 'The Sisters Rosensweig,' 'Morning's at Seven' and 'Rabbit Hole.' Sullivan served as Artistic Director of Seattle Repertory Theatre, where he directed more than 60 productions. His film and television credits include 'The Substance of Fire' and 'Far East.'

Michael Greif (Director, The Winter's Tale) directed the 2007 Shakespeare in the Park revival of 'Romeo and Juliet' at The Public, as well as Diana Son's 'Satellites,' the launch performance of Suzan-Lori Parks's 365 Days / 365 Plays, 'Fucking A,' 'Dogeaters '(Obie), 'Marisol,' 'Pericles,' 'Casanova,' 'A Bright Room Called Day,' and 'Machinal' (Obie). He is currently represented on Broadway with the musical 'Next To Normal,' for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Other Tony nomination productions include 'Grey Gardens' and 'Rent.' Greif is an Artistic Associate at New York Theatre Workshop, where his credits include 'Cavedweller,' 'Bright Lights, Big City,' and 'Rent.'

Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Solanio/Young Shepherd) returns to the Delacorte, where he appeared in Daniel Sullivan's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (2007) and George C. Wolfe's 'On the Town' (1997). He is a series regular on ABC's 'Modern Family' and has also appeared on television in 'Do Not Disturb,' 'The Class' and 'Ugly Betty.' His Broadway credits include 'On the Town' and 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.'

Jesse L. Martin (Gratiano/Polixenes) is making his Public Theater debut. He is best-known for playing 'Tom Collins' in the original company of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize-winning 'Rent.' His other theater credits include 'The Arabian Nights' at Manhattan Theater Club and 'The Government Inspector' and 'Timon of Athens' on Broadway. He played 'Detective Ed Green' for nine seasons on 'Law & Order,' and he currently appears as a series regular on NBC's 'The Philanthropist.' Martin recently starred in the films 'Peter and Vandy,' 'The Cake Eaters' and 'Rent.'

Al Pacino (Shylock) returns to The Public, where he played 'Marcus Antonius' in Stuart Vaughan's production of 'Julius Caesar' (1988). On Broadway, he won Tony Awards for his performances in 'Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?' and 'The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel' and appeared in 'Camino Real,' 'Richard III,' 'American Buffalo,' 'Chinese Coffee,' 'Hughie' (which he also directed), and two productions of 'Salome' (1992 and 2003). His additional New York stage appearances include 'The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui,' 'The Local Stigmatic' and 'The Indian Wants The Bronx.' He has appeared in more than 35 films, receiving Academy Award nominations for his performances in 'The Godfather,' 'Serpico,' 'The Godfather: Part II,' 'Dog Day Afternoon,' '...And Justice For All,' 'Dick Tracy' and 'Glengarry Glen Ross'; he won an Oscar for 'Scent of a Woman' and an Emmy for Mike Nichols' miniseries 'Angels in America.'

Lily Rabe (Portia/First Gentlewoman) is making her Public Theater debut. She has appeared on Broadway in Richard Greenberg's 'The American Plan,' George Bernard Shaw's 'Heartbreak House,' and Robert Harling's Steel 'Magnolias.' Off-Broadway credits include 'Crimes of the Heart' at Roundabout and 'Colder Than Here' at MCC. Her film credits include 'Mona Lisa Smile,' 'No Reservations,' 'What Just Happened,' 'A Crime' and 'The Toe Tactic.' Rabe's television credits include David Milch's 'Last of the Ninth' and guest appearances on 'Medium,' 'Nip/Tuck,' 'Law & Order: SVU,' and 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' and 'Saving Grace.' Upcoming film roles include Andrew Jarecki's 'All Good Things'; Christopher Munch's 'Letters From A Big Man'; and the indie features 'Weakness' and 'Aftermath.'

Ruben Santiago-hudson (Prince of Morocco/Leontes) played the title role in Mary Zimmerman's 1997 revival of 'Henry VIII' at Shakespeare in the Park. He made his Public Theater debut in Eugene Lee's 'East Texas Hot Links' and wrote and starred in 2001's 'Lackawanna Blues,' for which he won an Obie Award. On Broadway, he received a Tony Award for his performance in August Wilson's 'Seven Guitars' and appeared in Wilson's 'Gem of the Ocean' and the musical 'Jelly's Last Jam.' He directed 'Seven Guitars' and 'The First Breeze of Summer' at Signature and 'Things of Dry Hours' at New York Theatre Workshop. His numerous film credits include 'Coming to America,' 'The Devil's Advocate,' 'Shaft,' 'Domestic Disturbance,' 'Mr. Brooks,' 'American Gangster,' 'The Invention of Lying,' and George C. Wolfe's made-for-television adaptation of 'Lackawanna Blues.'

Max Wright (Old Gobbo/Old Shepherd). His long history with The Public Theater includes appearances in the Shakespeare in the Park productions of 'Taming of the Shrew' (1999) and 'Henry IV, Part 1' (1981), and The Public's productions of 'The Cherry Orchard' (1977), 'The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel' and 'That Championship Season.' His numerous Broadway credits include 'Richard III' opposite Al Pacino, 'The Great White Hope,' and Lincoln Center Theater's productions of 'Twelfth Night' and 'Ivanov' (Tony nomination). He is best-known to television audiences for his starring roles on 'Alf' and 'The Norm Show.'