Henry, Boykin and Dollison Join McDonald, Lewis & Grier in PORGY & BESS at A.R.T.; Cast Complete

The New York Times has revealed that casting is now complete for American Repertory Theatre's production of Porgy and Bess that will play the Loeb Drama Center beginning August 17.  Josh Henry (Scottsboro Boys) has been cast as 'Jake,' Philip Boykin will play 'Crown' and 'Summertime' singer is Trista Dollison, who will play Clara.  They join the previously announced Norm Lewis, Audra McDonald, and David Alan Grier as Porgy, Bess, and Sportin' Life.

Gershwin's seminal American opera Porgy and Bess is being re-imagined by A.R.T.'s Artistic Director Diane Paulus, Pulitzer prize-winning writer Suzan-Lori Parks, and two-time Obie winner Diedre Murray. The creative team was charged by the Gershwin Trusts and the Heyward Trust to create a version with a unique identity as a musical. The team also includes choreographer Ronald K. Brown, set designer Riccardo Hernandez, costume designer Emilio Sosa, Tony Award-winning lighting designer Christopher Akerlind, sound by ACME Sound Partners, and casting by Telsey + Company. This production of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess will be presented in association with Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is one of the country's most celebrated resident theaters and the winner of numerous awards including the Tony Award, the Pulitzer Prize and regional Elliot Norton and I.R.N.E. Awards. In 2002 the A.R.T. was the recipient of the National Theatre Conference's Outstanding Achievement Award, and in May of 2003 it was named one of the top three regional theaters in the country by Time magazine. 

In 2009, the A.R.T. welcomed its new Artistic Director, Diane Paulus. Armed with the A.R.T.'s mission to expand the boundaries of theater, Paulus and her team have engaged thousands of new theatergoers at performances of Sleep No More, The Donkey Show, Gatz, Best of Both Worlds, Johnny Baseball and Cabaret as well as festivals like Emerging America. Critics and audiences have embraced the immersive environments that have become hallmarks of A.R.T. productions. The Theater has broadened its focus to include the audience's total experience, providing them with a sense of ownership in the theatrical event. The A.R.T.'s new club theater OBERON, which Paulus calls a "Second Stage for the 21st century," is an example of one initiative that has not only become an incubator for local artists but also has attracted national attention as a groundbreaking model for programming. Through all of its work, the A.R.T. is committed to building a community of artists, designers, technicians, administrators and audience.

The Loeb Drama Center, located at 64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge, is accessible to persons with special needs and to those requiring wheelchair seating or first-floor restrooms. Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons can also reach the theater by calling the toll-free N.E. Telephone Relay Center at 1-800-439-2370.

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess opens the 2011-12 American Repertory Theater season, and subscriptions will be available for sale in May. Select tickets for Porgy and Bess will go on sale on April 28.

For further information call 617-547-8300 or visit http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org