Anderson, Short et al. Complete Cast for Shakespeare in the Park's MERCHANT & WINTER'S TALE

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced complete casting today for the 2010 Shakespeare in the Park summer season featuring THE WINTER'S TALE, directed by Michael Greif and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, directed by Daniel Sullivan, running in repertory June 9-August 1 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Tickets are free and distributed the day of the performance.

The 2010 repertory company for THE WINTER'S TALE and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, consecutively, features Gerry Bamman (Antigonus/Duke of Venice), Francois Battiste (Florizel/Lord/Salerio), Linda Emond (Hermione - The Winter's Tale), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Young Shepherd/Lord/Launcelot Gobbo), Bill Heck (Lord/Lorenzo), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Paulina/Nerissa), Byron Jennings (Camillo/Antonio), Heather Lind (Perdita/Jessica), Hamish Linklater (Autolycus/Lord/Bassanio), Jesse L. Martin (Polixenes/Gratiano), Nyambi Nyambi (Lord/Prince of Morocco), Al Pacino (Shylock - The Merchant of Venice), Lily Rabe (Portia - The Merchant of Venice), Matthew Rauch (Dion/Jailer/Solanio), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Leontes - The Winter's Tale) Richard Topol (Lord/Tubal) and Max Wright (Old Shepherd/Prince of Arragon).

The summer's non-Equity ensemble features Happy Anderson, Liza J. Bennett, Tyler Caffall, Cary Donaldson, Luke Forbes, Bryce Gill, Shalita Grant, Jade Hawk, Bethany Heinrich, Tia James, Kelsey Kurz, BrIan MacDonald, Alexander Maier, Dorien Makhloghi, and Joe Short.

THE WINTER'S TALE and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE will feature scenic design by Mark Wendland; costume design by Jess Goldstein (The Merchant of Venice) and Clint Ramos (The Winter's Tale); lighting design by Kenneth Posner; sound design by ACME Sound Partners; and original music by Tom Kitt (The Winter's Tale) and Dan Moses Schreier (The Merchant of Venice).

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.

Tickets to Shakespeare in the Park are free and are distributed, two per person, at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park at 1 p.m. the day of the show. This summer, The Public Theater will again offer free tickets through our Virtual Ticketing, available at www.shakespeareinthepark.org.

Virtual Ticketing will be the same as last year where on the day of a show, users can log on to our website anytime between midnight and 1 p.m. to register for that evening's performance. After 1 p.m. that same day, users can log on to see if they have received tickets through Virtual Ticketing; Recipients will also be sent a confirmation email by 5 p.m. if they have received tickets for that evening's performance. Virtual Ticketing recipients are chosen at random to receive tickets, not in the order requests are received.

Participants with a Virtual Ticketing confirmation can claim their tickets at the Delacorte Theater Box Office between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. that evening. Any tickets not picked up by 7 p.m. will be released to the standby line. A valid photo ID is required for all Virtual Ticketing pick-ups at the box office.

Senior Virtual Ticketing will also return this year; it functions the same way as the regular virtual ticketing but registrants must be 65 or older to be eligible and present valid photo ID with proof of age.

In the tradition of Joe Papp, Summer Supporter tickets for THE WINTER'S TALE and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE are available in packages of two tickets for a tax-deductible contribution of $350. The two tickets can be used in any combination for this summer's Shakespeare in the Park productions. These reserved seats are only available for a limited time to ensure that the highest number of free seats will be available to distribute to the general public on the day of the show. Summer Supporter tickets help to underwrite free Shakespeare in the Park.

Summer Supporter donations can be made at The Public Theater Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street, by phone at (212) 967-7555, or online at www.publictheater.org. Beginning this summer, seating locations for Summer Supporters and Public Theater Partners will be allocated strictly by giving level.

For additional information about Shakespeare in the Park, visit www.shakespeareinthepark.org.

The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Executive Director) was founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 and is now one of the nation's preeminent cultural institutions, producing new plays, musicals, and productions of classics at its downtown headquarters and at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The Public's mandate to create a theater for all New Yorkers continues to this day onstage and through extensive outreach and education programs. Each year, over 250,000 people attend Public Theater-related productions and events at six downtown stages, including Joe's Pub, and Shakespeare in the Park. The Public has won 42 Tony Awards, 149 Obies, 40 Drama Desk Awards and four Pulitzer Prizes. The Public has brought 52 shows to Broadway, including Sticks and Bones; That Championship Season; A Chorus Line; The Pirates of Penzance; The Tempest; Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk; On the Town; The Ride Down Mt. Morgan; Topdog/Underdog; Elaine Stritch at Liberty; Take Me Out; Caroline, or Change; Well; Passing Strange; and, most recently, the current Tony Award-winning revival of Hair. www.publictheater.org.