Olympia Dukakis Leads HERO Theatre's KING LEAR Benefit Tonight, 5/21

HERO Theatre presents a benefit staged reading of William Shakespeare's KING LEAR tonight, May 21st at 7:30PM to be held at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre/Laura Pels Theatre, 111 West 46th Street. Academy Award-winner Olympia Dukakis will play the title role and director Austin Pendleton will direct a cast featuring special guest artists performing alongside HERO Theatre company members.

Ms. Dukakis is Chair of HERO Theatre's Advisory Board. Other members include Michael Ritchie (Artistic Director of the Center Theatre Group), Jenny Gersten (Artistic Director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival), Bill Rauch (Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival), director Michael Wilson, actor Michael Cumpsty, playwright Migdalia Cruz, writer Tatyana Tolstaya and Judy Bowman of Judy Bowman Casting.

HERO Theatre was founded in August 2011 by Elisa Bocanegra, Artistic Director, and Producing Director Anya Migdal. The company consists of some of today's most notable and emerging artists from diverse backgrounds and training in stage, television and film. HERO Theatre's mission is to build bridges between various cultures by way of the classics.  

This performance is part of HERO's fundraising efforts to present its first full-scale production, a world-premiere of a new translation of Anton Chekhov's "Three Sisters", translated by Tolstaya and Cruz.

For more information about HERO Theatre and ticket information, visit www.HEROtheatre.org.