Twelfth Night: Shakespeare in the Park production announces further casting

The Public Theater has announced additional casting for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night, directed by Daniel Sullivan.

Herb Foster will play 'Valentine'; Kevin Kelly will play 'Sea Captain'; Tony nominee Stark Sands will play 'Sebastian'; Baylen Thomas will play 'Curio'; Jon Patrick Walker will play 'Fabian'; and Tony Award winner Julie White will play 'Maria.'

Twelfth Night will feature original music by symphonic folk-rock band Hem. Twelfth Night will open at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park on 25 Jun 2009, following previews from 10 Jun and running through to 12 Jul 2009.

Foster, Kelly, Sands, Thomas, Walker and White join the previously announced cast of Twelfth Night which features Michael Cumpsty as 'Malvolio'; Ra�l Esparza as 'Orsino'; Anne Hathaway as 'Viola'; Hamish Linklater as 'Sir Andrew Aguecheek'; Audra McDonald as 'Olivia'; David Pittu as 'Feste'; and Jay O. Sanders as 'Sir Toby Belch'.

The ensemble for Twelfth Night will include Clifton Duncan, David Kenner, Leslie Harrison, Slate Holmgren, Dorien Makhloghi, Ray Rizzo and Zach Villa.

Twelfth Night will feature scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Jane Greenwood, lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, fight direction by Rick Sordelet, and choreography by Mimi Lieber.

Michael Cumpsty (Malvolio) has appeared at The Public in productions of Shakespeare�s 'Timon of Athens,' 'All�s Well That Ends Well,' 'Hamlet,' 'Cymbeline,' 'The Winter�s Tale,' 'King John,' and 'Romeo and Juliet.' He recently starred in the Classic Stage Company productions of 'Hamlet' and 'Richard II,' winning an OBIE for his performance in the title role in the former. He recently appeared on Broadway in the Roundabout Theater Company revival of 'Sunday in the Park With George' Bob Greenberg/Jules - revival 2008).

Ra�l Esparza (Orsino) recently starred in the Broadway revival of David Mamet�s 'Speed-the-Plow' (Charlie Fox: revival 2008). He earned Tony nominations for his performances in 'The Homecoming,' 'Company,' and 'Taboo.' He appeared at The Public in the revival of Larry Kramer�s 'The Normal Heart' and won an OBIE Award for his performance in Jonathan Larson�s 'tick, tick�BOOM!'

Herb Foster (Valentine) has appeared at The Public in 'A Midsummer Night�s Dream,' 'Macbeth,' 'As You Like It,' 'The Controversy of Valladolid,' 'Measure for Measure,' 'Cymbeline,' 'Timon of Athens' and 'All�s Well That Ends Well,' in 17 productions on Broadway, and for nine seasons at the Shaw Festival.

Anne Hathaway (Viola) was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Independent Spirit Award, and a SAG Award for her performance in Jonathan Demme�s film 'Rachel Getting Married.' Her stage credits include the lead role in the 2002 City Center Encores production of 'Carnival!' She is best-known for playing leading roles in the films 'Bride Wars,' 'Brokeback Mountain' (SAG Outstanding Ensemble nomination), 'The Devil Wears Prada,' 'Get Smart,' 'Ella Enchanted,' 'Passengers,' 'The Princess Diaries,' 'The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement' and 'Becoming Jane.'

Kevin Jelly (Sea Captain) last appeared at the Delacorte in the 2004 production of 'Much Ado About Nothing,' in which he acted and played several musical instruments. He wrote the book and lyrics for the musical 'The Ark,' which played at 37 Arts, and portrayed 'Orlando' in Liviu Ciulei�s production of 'As You Like It' at Theater at St. Clement�s.

Hamish Linklater (Sir Andrew Aguecheek) has appeared for four seasons as 'Matthew' in the hit CBS comedy 'The New Adventures of Old Christine,' starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus. His theater credits include Andrei Serban�s 'Hamlet' (opposite Liev Schreiber) and 'Love�s Fire' at The Public. Other Off-Broadway credits include 'The Busy World Is Hushed' and 'Recent Tragic Events' at Playwrights Horizons and 'Good Thing' at The New Group.

Audra McDonald (Olivia) won Tony Awards for her performances in 'A Raisin in the Sun' (Ruth Younger: 2004 revival), 'Ragtime' (Sarah: 1998), 'Master Class' (Sharon: 1995) and 'Carousel' (Carrie Pipperidge: 1994 revival), and earned nominations for 'Marie Christine' and '110 in the Shade.' She received Emmy nominations for her work in two televised stage adaptations, 'Wit' and 'A Raisin in the Sun,' and currently stars as 'Dr. Naomi Bennett' in 'Grey�s Anatomy' spinoff 'Private Practice.' Twelfth Night is her Public Theater debut.

David Pittu (Feste) recently co-wrote and starred in the Atlantic Theater Company production 'What�s That Smell? The Music of Jacob Sterling.' He appeared at The Public in David Hare�s 'Stuff Happens' (2006), sharing a special Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble. On Broadway, he has received Tony nominations for his performances in 'Is He Dead?' (multiple roles: 2007) and 'LoveMusik' (Bertolt Brecht: 2007) and played roles in all three parts of Tom Stoppard�s ambitious trilogy 'The Coast of Utopia '(Lincoln Center Theater).

Jay O. Sanders (Sir Toby Belch) first appeared at Shakespeare in the Park in the 1976 production of 'Henry V' and went on to appear in 'Measure for Measure,' 'King John,' 'A Midsummer Night�s Dream' and 'Hamlet.' At The Public, he played 'George W. Bush' in David Hare�s 'Stuff Happens.' His Broadway credits include 'Pygmalion,' 'Saint Joan,' 'The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial' and 'Loose Ends' (Doug: 1979).

Stark Sands (Sebastian) earned a Tony nomination for his Broadway debut in David Grindley�s acclaimed 2007 Broadway production of 'Journey�s End.' He recently appeared opposite Mandy Patinkin in 'The Tempest' at Classic Stage Company. His film credits include 'Flags of Our Fathers,' 'Chasing Liberty,' and the miniseries 'Generation Kill.'

Baylen Thomas (Curio) appeared at Manhattan Theater Club in Liz Flahive�s 'From Up Here,' opposite Julie White. His numerous Broadway credits include 'Cyrano de Bergerac,' 'After the Fall,' 'Proof,' 'King Lear,' 'Henry IV,' and all three parts of Tom Stoppard�s epic 'Coast of Utopia' trilogy at Lincoln Center.

Jon Patrick Walker (Fabian) appeared on Broadway in the musicals 'Young Frankenstein' and 'High Fidelity' and in the Roundabout�s pairing of Peter Shaffer one-act plays 'White Liars & Black Comedy.' Off-Broadway, he appeared in the musical adaptation of 'Debbie Does Dallas.' His film and television credits include 'The Secret Lives of Dentists,' 'The Fighting Fitzgeralds' (series regular), and 'Six Degrees.'

Julie White (Maria) won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her critically lauded portrayal of 'Diane' in Douglas Carter Beane�s 'The Little Dog Laughed' (2006). Her theater credits include Liz Flahive�s 'From Up Here' at Manhattan Theater Club, Theresa Rebeck�s 'Bad Dates' at Playwrights Horizons, and two Pulitzer Prize-winning plays directed by Daniel Sullivan, Donald Margulies�s 'Dinner With Friends' and Wendy Wasserstein�s 'The Heidi Chronicles.'

Hem (Original Music) is a Brooklyn-based folk music quartet featuring vocalist Sally Ellyson, pianist Dan Messe, and guitarists Gary Maurer and Steve Curtis. Their EPs and studio albums include 'I�m Talking With My Mouth' (2002), 'Rabbit Songs' (2002), 'Birds, Beasts, & Flowers' (2004), 'Eveningland' (2004), 'No Word From Tom' (2006), 'Funnel Cloud' (2006) and 'Home Again, Home Again' (2007).

Daniel Sullivan (Director) has directed 'A Midsummer Night�s Dream' (2007), 'Stuff Happens' (2006), and 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' (1994) for The Public Theater. He won a Tony Award for 'Proof' (2000), and was nominated for Tony's for 'Rabbit Hole' (2006), 'Morning's at Seven' (2002), 'The Sisters Rosensweig' (1993), 'Conversations With My Father' (1992) and 'The Heidi Chronicles' (1989). His film and television credits include 'The Substance of Fire' and 'Far East.'

The second Shakespeare in the Park production will be Euripides�s The Bacchae, translated by Nicholas Rudall, directed by JoAnne Akalaitis, and featuring original music by Philip Glass. The Bacchae, running 11 - 30 Aug 2009.