| Additional Casting and Dates Announced for Free Shakespeare in the Park's TWELFTH NIGHT | |
| Posted by: Official_Press_Release 03:48 pm EST 01/31/25 | |
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| ADDITIONAL CASTING AND DATES ANNOUNCED FOR FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK’S TWELFTH NIGHT AT REVITALIZED DELACORTE THEATER By William Shakespeare Directed by Saheem Ali August 7 – September 14 Jerome L. Greene Foundation Returns as Lead Sponsor of Free Shakespeare in the Park b, Bill Camp, Khris Davis, Junior Nyong’o, Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Moses Sumney Join Previously Announced Peter Dinklage, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lupita Nyong’o, and Sandra Oh The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) has announced additional casting and the production dates ahead of this summer’s production of TWELFTH NIGHT, directed by The Public’s Associate Artistic Director/Resident Director Saheem Ali. Newly announced cast members include b, Bill Camp, Khris Davis, Junior Nyong’o (playing Sebastian to real-life sibling Lupita Nyong’o’s Viola), Daphne Rubin-Vega, and Moses Sumney. The production will reopen the historic, revitalized Delacorte Theater, with the first performance on Thursday, August 7. The production will officially open on Thursday, August 21 and run through Sunday, September 14. Join us to revel in the midsummer madness as twins Sebastian and Viola survive shipwreck, revenge plots, and the trick doors of love. The Public’s Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director, Tony Award nominee Saheem Ali directs this joyful romp welcoming all of New York back to the magic of Central Park’s beloved theater. Be there when the stage lights turn on again at The Delacorte—a New York City classic—with this high-powered production of the Bard’s classic comedy. The cast for Free Shakespeare in the Park’s TWELFTH NIGHT currently includes b (Antonio), Bill Camp (Sir Toby Belch), Khris Davis (Orsino), Peter Dinklage (Malvolio), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Andrew Aguecheek), Junior Nyong’o (Sebastian), Lupita Nyong’o (Viola), Sandra Oh (Olivia), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Maria), and Moses Sumney (Feste). Complete casting and a design team will be announced prior to the start of the run this summer. This production of Free Shakespeare in the Park’s TWELFTH NIGHT will be the seventh time Shakespeare’s classic comedy has been produced at The Delacorte. Previous iterations were produced in 1969 (directed by founder Joseph Papp), 1986, 1989, 2002, 2009, and an adaptation for Public Works in 2018. Since its inception, over six million people have enjoyed more than 160 free productions of Shakespeare and other classical works and musicals at The Delacorte Theater. Conceived by founder Joseph Papp to make great theater accessible to all, Free Shakespeare in the Park continues to be the bedrock of The Public’s vision of artistic excellence and free access to culture. The Public has launched “Forever Public,” an ambitious, multi-year capital campaign with a goal of raising over $150 million to secure the transformative mission of free theater for everyone. In addition to establishing the Fund for Free Theater endowment, Forever Public provided capital support to make the Delacorte revitalization possible. Built in 1962, the theater had not undergone meaningful capital upgrades since 1999. The Public, in partnership with the Central Park Conservancy, NYC Parks, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Ennead Architects to create a design and construction plan that minimized impact on Central Park and foregrounded resilience and sustainability to ensure the longevity of Free Shakespeare in the Park for many years to come. Following groundbreaking in October 2023, reconstruction of interior spaces and the grandstand layout began with subsequent installation of redesigned lighting towers and the new wood façade made from salvaged NYC water towers. Concurrently, the Central Park Conservancy is renovating the Delacorte Restroom, slated for completion alongside the theater renovation. Reopening to visitors this summer, the revitalized Delacorte offers a state-of-the-art experience for audiences, artists, and staff alike with improved access for people living with disabilities. The Delacorte project is publicly and privately funded with $42 million contributed by the New York City Mayor, City Council, and Manhattan Borough President, as well as $1 million from New York Assembly Member O’Donnell. The Public also wishes to acknowledge State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and NYC Parks who have contributed funding to the Central Park Conservancy’s Delacorte restroom renovation project. The Delacorte will reopen in July 2025 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a full schedule of tours, special events, and performances. Supporters can leave their mark in the new Delacorte grandstand by claiming a seat for a gift of $5,000 or more. For a full list of reopening events, visit publictheater.org/about/forever-public. Next month, The Public’s 2025 season will kick off with SUMO, a mesmerizing new drama set in the sacred world of Sumo wrestling by Lisa Sanaye Dring and directed by Ralph B. Peña. The Astor Place season continues with GLASS. KILL. WHAT IF IF ONLY. IMP., a quartet of inventive plays written by groundbreaking playwright Caryl Churchill and directed by James Macdonald. The downtown season will conclude with the New York premiere of GODDESS, a new musical conceived and directed by Saheem Ali, with a book by Jocelyn Bioh, music and lyrics by Michael Thurber, and choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie. There are numerous ways to catch Shakespeare this summer all across the city. In June 2025, the Mobile Unit will tour a new production of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, directed by Rebecca Martinez, across all five boroughs. A complete tour schedule will be announced at a later date. From August 28 – September 1, Public Works will present an adaptation of PERICLES, with music and lyrics by Troy Anthony and directed by Carl Cofield at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. To support The Public Theater, become a Supporter or Partner by visiting publictheater.org/supporttoday BIOS: SAHEEM ALI (Director) is a proud immigrant from Kenya, currently serving as the Associate Artistic Director/Resident Director of New York’s Public Theater. He received Tony, Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominations, as well as the Joe A. Callaway award for his direction of Fat Ham. He most recently developed the Buena Vista Social Club musical at Atlantic Theater Company (Drama Desk nom). His production of Merry Wives (Free Shakespeare in the Park) was recorded for PBS’ “Great Performances” and was the subject of the HBO documentary Reopening Night. Other productions include Goddess (Berkeley Rep); Nollywood Dreams (MCC); Romeo y Julieta, Shipwreck, and Richard II (radio plays); Fires in the Mirror (Signature Theater); The Rolling Stone (Lincoln Center Theater); Passage (Soho Rep); Sugar in Our Wounds (MTC); Tartuffe (Playmakers Rep); Where Storms Are Born (Williamstown); and Kill Move Paradise (National Black Theater). He is a Usual Suspect at New York Theater Workshop, a Sir John Gielgud SDCF Fellow, a Shubert Fellow, and the recipient of an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Directing. b (Antonio)'s previous theater credits include Toros (Second Stage; HOLA Award recipient), American (tele)visions (NYTW), Bodies They Ritual (Clubbed Thumb), Seven Deadly Sins (Tectonic Theater Project), and many others. b will next be seen starring in the upcoming seasons of “You” (Netflix) and “The Terror” (AMC). b's previous TV credits include “WeCrashed” (Apple TV+), “Let the Right One In” (Showtime), and “Station 19” (ABC). b also co-executive produced and starred in the narrative podcast Birds of Empire (QCODE). b is a graduate of The Juilliard School. BILL CAMP (Sir Toby Belch) is a SAG, Emmy, and Tony Award nominee best known for his performances in “The Queen’s Gambit” for Netflix, HBO’s “The Night Of,” and the 2016 Broadway revival of Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible. Camp currently stars as former DA-turned-defense lawyer Raymond Horgan opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the hit Apple TV+ series “Presumed Innocent.” Up next, Camp will star in two limited series for Netflix, the political thriller “Zero Day” alongside Angela Bassett and Robert De Niro set for release February 20, and the dark comedy “Sirens” opposite Julianne Moore. He will also play JP Morgan in the upcoming third season of HBO's “The Gilded Age.” On the film side, Camp recently wrapped production alongside Glen Powell for the A24 & StudioCanal’s revenge thriller Huntington. KHRIS DAVIS (Orsino) played the title role in Sony’s biopic Big George Foreman opposite Forest Whitaker, who played his mentor/boxing trainer Doc Broadus. Davis played the heartbreaking role of “Biff Loman” in the acclaimed Broadway production of Death of a Salesman with Wendell Pierce and Sharon D. Clarke. He made his New York stage debut in Marco Ramirez’s The Royale at Lincoln Center Theater. Loosely based on the life of Jack Johnson, his performance garnered him a Clive Barnes Award, an Obie Award, and a Theatre World Award for Best Actor. He also starred in the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions of the Tony-nominated, Pulitzer Prize-winning Lynn Nottage play Sweat and Atlantic Theater Company’s production of Fireflies with DeWanda Wise. Davis recurred on FX’s award-winning “Atlanta” opposite Donald Glover, for which he received a SAG Award nomination as part of the ensemble. His feature credits include Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit, Space Jam: A New Legacy with LeBron James, and the Oscar-nominated Judas and The Black Messiah. PETER DINKLAGE (Malvolio) is an award-winning actor in film, television and theater. He is most recognizable for his Emmy® Award-winning performance as “Tyrion Lannister” in “Game of Thrones,” for which he won a record four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Dinklage’s breakout role came in 2003 with the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award–winner The Station Agent. Since then, he has starred in the numerous films including Wicked: Part One; X-Men: Days of Future Past; Death at a Funeral; Living in Oblivion; I Think We’re Alone Now; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing; Missouri; Avengers: Infinity War; I Care a Lot; My Dinner with Hervé; Cyrano; She Came to Me; The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes; American Dreamer; and Unfrosted: The Pop Tart Story. Upcoming films include The Thicket, Brothers, Wicked: For Good, and The Toxic Avenger. His extensive theater credits include A Month in the Country, Things We Want, Knickerbocker, Richard III, Uncle Vanya, and Cyrano. JESSE TYLER FERGUSON (Andrew Aguecheek) has previously performed in The Public/Free Shakespeare in the Park productions of On the Town, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale, The Merchant of Venice, The Comedy of Errors, and The Tempest. Broadway credits include Take Me Out (Tony Award), Fully Committed, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Ferguson earned 5 Emmy nominations for his role on “Modern Family.” Recent film credits include Cocaine Bear and All That We Love (Tribeca Film Festival). He is the host of the podcast Dinners on Me, the author of the cookbook Food Between Friends, and the cofounder of Pronoun, a foundation fighting oppression in the LGBTQIA+ community. JUNIOR NYONG’O (Sebastian). Originally from Kenya, Nyong’o is a recent graduate of the UCSD MFA program. While at UCSD, he was cast in the La Jolla Playhouse workshop production of the Tony Award-winning musical, The Outsiders, directed by Danya Taymor. Upon graduation, Nyong’o completed a run as “B” in Sanctuary City at Seattle Rep, directed by Desdemona Chiang. Prior to that, he appeared as “Asagai” in A Raisin in the Sun at South Coast Repertory, directed by Khanisha Foster. Other notable credits include “Edgar” in King Lear (Santa Cruz Shakespeare), “Don Fernando” in Valor (Guthrie Theater), “Fasch” in Bach at Leipzig (UCSD), and “Oberon” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (UCSD). LUPITA NYONG’O (Viola) is a Kenyan actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author. She made her feature debut in Steve McQueen’s Academy Award-winning film 12 Years a Slave. For her performance, Nyong’o received the Academy Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Critics’ Choice Award, the Independent Spirit Award, and the NAACP Image Award. She will next costar in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, alongside Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal. In 2024 Nyong’o starred in the Academy Award-nominated feature film The Wild Robot, written and directed by Chris Sanders, and in Paramount’s A Quiet Place: Day One, written and directed by Michael Sarnoski. The film was the most successful debut in the blockbuster franchise. Among her film roles, Nyong’o plays “Nakia” in Marvel’s Oscar-nominated Black Panther franchise. In Jordan Peele’s critically acclaimed Us, Nyong’o played both “Adelaide” and “Red,” earning a Screen Actors Guild nomination, the NY Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress, and an NAACP Image Award. For her Broadway debut in Danai Gurira's play, Eclipsed, Nyong’o earned a Tony nomination. In 2021 she played “Julieta” in The Public Theater’s bilingual (Spanish and English) audio adaptation of Romeo y Julieta for Tony-nominated director Saheem Ali. DAPHNE RUBIN-VEGA (Maria) is currently on the Hulu series “Only Murders in the Building” and voices the infamous “Carmilla Carmine” in the A24/Prime Video animated series “Hazbin Hotel.” She recently co-starred in and co-produced the film Allswell in New York. In addition, she co-wrote/executive-produced the Amazon/Prime Video’s “The Horror of Dolores Roach.” The series was adapted from the popular Gimlet podcast and solo stage play formerly entitled Empanada Loca by Aaron Mark, in which she starred. Rubin-Vega has two Tony nominations, earned for originating the role of “Mimi” in Jonathan Larson’s Rent, and “Conchita” in Nilo Cruz’ Anna in the Tropics. She portrayed “Daniela” in Jon Chu’s film of Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her reprised role as “Lucy” in the film adaptation of the play Jack Goes Boating, which starred and was directed by Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Additional film credits include Wild Things, Flawless, and Sex and the City. Additional television credits include “Social Distance” (Netflix) and “Accused.” Theater credits include “Maxine” in Night of the Iguana (Signature Theatre), Miss You Like Hell, Two Sisters and a Piano, F*cking A (The Public), and Romeo and Juliet (CSC). Rubin-Vega appeared in the Broadway revivals of A Streetcar Named Desire (Stella), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Magenta), and Les Misérables (Fantine). SANDRA OH (Olivia) (OC) is an award-winning television and film actor. A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, her theatre credits include this year’s The Welkin at The Atlantic, Stop Kiss and Satellites at The Public, Oleanna, Death and the Maiden, House of Bernarda Alba, and Office Hour. Oh is best known for her roles as Cristina Yang in “Grey’s Anatomy,” Eve Polastri in “Killing Eve,” and Ji-Yoon Kim in “The Chair.” Oh’s film credits include Sideways, Under the Tuscan Sun, Last Night, and Double Happiness. Her extensive voice work includes “Invincible,” Turning Red, and The Tiger’s Apprentice. Oh’s recent projects include the Emmy-nominated Hulu film Quiz Lady and HBO’s “The Sympathizer.” She will be in the upcoming films Good Fortune and Can I Get A Witness? MOSES SUMNEY (Feste) evades definition as an act of duty: technicolor self-directed videos and monochrome clothes; Art Rock and Black Classical; blowing into Fashion Weeks from a small town in North Carolina; seemingly infinite collaborators, but one staggering voice. Akin to his upbringing between Southern California and Ghana, his work migrates seamlessly through genre and disciplines. His albums have topped the critics’ lists of The New York Times, NPR, Pitchfork, The Guardian, and Rolling Stone; his music videos lauded by SXSW, the UKMVAs, the Webby, and Camerimage awards. When quarantine prohibited the touring of his 2nd album græ, Sumney took to the hills, directing the sprawling 2021 live album and film Blackalachia atop the Blue Ridge mountains. Here we see Sumney’s mastery of spectacle: shimmering vestments, angular choreography, songs performed acrobatically midair. That same year, he starred in his first major campaign for Calvin Klein; the next, Burberry. The cinematic flare of his videos led him to make his on-screen acting debut in A24 and HBO’s "The Idol," co-starring Lily-Rose Depp, The Weeknd, and Rachel Sennott, and subsequently, Ti West’s MAXXXINE opposite of Mia Goth. 2024 also brought Sumney’s newest musical offering since 2020 -- a leveled-up, soulful EP of sensual songs that capture Sumney’s coy flirtation with the spotlight. Consistent across the worlds of music, fashion, and film is his assertion that the undefinable still exists and dwelling in it is an act of resistance. ABOUT JEROME L. GREENE FOUNDATION The Jerome L. Greene Foundation supports select programs that make a significant impact on the lives of all New Yorkers in the areas of the arts, education, medicine, and social justice. Its 40-year history is grounded in the vision of its founder, Jerry Greene, to give back to the city he loved. Today, the Foundation honors this commitment by continuing to fund quality programs and by identifying new ways to increase access to the arts and to education, create opportunities for ground-breaking medical research, and help ensure social justice for all. www.jlgreene.org ABOUT THE PUBLIC THEATER: THE PUBLIC continues the work of its visionary founder Joe Papp as a civic institution engaging, both on-stage and off, with some of the most important ideas and social issues of today. Conceived over 60 years ago as one of the nation’s first nonprofit theaters, The Public has long operated on the principles that theater is an essential cultural force and that art and culture belong to everyone. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public’s wide breadth of programming includes an annual season of new work at its landmark home at Astor Place, Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, the Mobile Unit touring throughout New York City’s five boroughs, Public Lab, Public Works, Public Shakespeare Initiative, and Joe’s Pub. Since premiering HAIR in 1967, The Public continues to create the canon of American Theater and is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning musicals Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hell’s Kitchen by Alicia Keys and Kristoffer Diaz. Their programs and productions can also be seen regionally across the country and around the world. The Public has received 64 Tony Awards, 194 Obie Awards, 62 Drama Desk Awards, 61 Lortel Awards, 36 Outer Critic Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, 65 AUDELCO Awards, 6 Antonyo Awards, and 6 Pulitzer Prizes. publictheater.org The Public Theater stands in honor of the first inhabitants and our ancestors. We acknowledge the land on which The Public and its theaters stand—the original homeland of the Lenape people. We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory. We honor the generations of stewards and we pay our respects to the many diverse indigenous peoples still connected to this land. The Public also gives our respect to the people of Seneca Village, a community of Black property owners who were removed from their land and whose village was destroyed in the creation of Central Park. We recognize the sacrifice that these ancestors made and honor Seneca Village’s legacy. Jerome L. Greene Foundation is the proud season sponsor of Free Shakespeare in the Park. The LuEsther T. Mertz Legacy Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities. The Delacorte project is publicly and privately funded with $42 million contributed by the New York City Mayor, City Council, and Manhattan Borough President, as well as $1 million from New York Assembly Member O’Donnell. The Public also wishes to acknowledge State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and NYC Parks who have contributed funding to the Central Park Conservancy’s Delacorte restroom renovation project. FREE TICKET INFORMATION Performances of TWELFTH NIGHT will begin at The Delacorte Theater on Thursday, August 7 and continue through Sunday, September 14 with an official press opening on Thursday, August 21. The Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park is back this summer and tickets are distributed in a number of ways. On the day of each public performance, free tickets may be acquired in person at The Delacorte Theater, in person at a borough distribution site, via an in-person lottery in the lobby of The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street, or through a digital lottery. All tickets are subject to availability. The American Sign Language Interpreted performance will be on Saturday, August 23 at 8:00 p.m. The Audio Described performance will be on Friday, September 12 at 8:00 p.m. There will be two Open Captioned performances. An Open Captioned performance in English will be offered during the performance on Friday, September 5 at 8:00 p.m. An Open Captioned performance in Spanish will be offered during the performance on Saturday, September 6 at 8:00 p.m. A limited number of tickets are also available via advance reservation by making a contribution in support of Free Shakespeare in the Park. To learn more, or to make a contribution, call 212.967.7555, or visit publictheater.org. The full performance calendar can be found at publictheater.org. Complete ticket distribution details will be available later this spring. The Delacorte Theater in Central Park is accessible by entering at 81st Street and Central Park West or at 79th Street and Fifth Avenue. CONNECT WITH US Facebook.com/PublicTheater Instagram | @PublicTheaterNY Threads | @PublicTheaterNY TikTok | @PublicTheaterNY |
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