Bloom, Casella, et al. Join Public Theater's TIMON OF ATHENS

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) announced complete casting today for TIMON OF ATHENS, the inaugural production of Public LAB SHAKESPEARE featuring Richard Thomas in the title role. Directed by Shakespeare Initiative Director Barry Edelstein, TIMON OF ATHENS runs February 15 through March 6 at The Public Theater, with an official press opening on Tuesday, March 1. Single tickets go on sale on Tuesday, January 18; all tickets for Public LAB productions are $15.
 
The complete cast for TIMON OF ATHENS features Che Ayende (Thief, Servilius); Tom Bloom (Old Athenian, Senator); Max Casella (Apemantus); Reg E. Cathey (Alcibiades); Cary Donaldson (Thief, Lucilius); Brian Keane (Merchant); David Manis (Lucius, Senator); Anthony Manna (Jeweler, Caphis); Greg McFadden (Poet); Chris McKinney (Lucullus, Senator); Orville Mendoza (Painter); Mark Nelson (Flavius); Joe Paulik (Messenger); Triney Sandoval (Sempronius, Senator) and Richard Thomas (Timon).
 
TIMON OF ATHENS is Shakespeare's play for the post-Bailout Age.  Its central concern--money's dark potential to corrupt every human interaction--couldn't be more timely or fascinating. As one of Shakespeare's least-familiar works, it is also one of his most unique: a comedy written with an acid pen, a morality tale told in a fury. 
 
TIMON OF ATHENS will feature set design by Neil Patel; costume design by Katherine Roth; lighting design by Russell Champa; and music composition by Curtis Moore.
 
For four seasons, Public LAB has premiered exciting new works in scaled-down productions and at affordable prices.  Now Public LAB expands to bring this approach to the Bard, where the focus with be on the actor, the text, and the story. Public LAB SHAKESPEARE will broaden the ranks of artists who work on Shakespeare in America, and it will bring Shakespeare at his most spare, clear, and muscular to a wider community of theatergoers.

The 2010-2011 Public LAB season will continue this spring with URGE FOR GOING by Mona Mansour, directed by Hal Brooks (March 25 to April 17) and KNICKERBOCKER by Jonathan Marc Sherman, directed by Pippin Parker (May 6 to May 29).
 
Public LAB, conceived in association with LAByrinth Theater Company, is an annual series of new plays that lets New Yorkers see more of the work they love from The Public in scaled-down productions. Public LAB allows The Public to support more artists, and gives audiences immediate access to new plays in development.  The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supported Public LAB with one of the largest grants ever received by The Public Theater.
 
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, 151 Obies, 41 Drama Desk Awards and four Pulitzer Prizes. The Public has brought 54 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; the Tony Award-winning revival of Hair; and this fall, the rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the 2010 Shakespeare in the Park production of The Merchant of Venice.  www.publictheater.org.

Photo Credit: Peter James Zielinski