Last Chance to See the Acclaimed Production of William Shakespeare's CORIOLANUS

The streets are full of protest: It's an election year; economic inequality strains the social fabric; debates rage throughout a nation riddled with dissension and distrust; unscrupulous politicians manipulate public opinion; the hypocrisy and humiliation of political campaigns drive away the country's finest! But beneath all this political drama looms the personal tragedy of one man's emotional blindness. Call it Coriolanus ripped from the headlines!!

This visceral new production has sparked a timely dramatic dialogue between actors and audiences. Red Bull Theater (Jesse Berger, Artistic Director) is currently presenting the acclaimed production of William Shakespeare's Coriolanus, the first production of the 2016-'17 season, directed by Michael Sexton, at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street at 7th Avenue). Performances continue through November 20th only.

Hailed by The New York Times as a Critic's Pick: "You don't have to squint too hard to discern unsettling contemporary relevance in the Red Bull Theater's gripping new production of Shakespeare's Coriolanus... With the cast members wearing contemporary clothes - conservative suits or slouchy casual wear, depending on their class - the time, clearly, is now; the place, America. This is hardly an unusual approach for Shakespearean productions in any season, but Coriolanus, a late tragedy, exposes the dangerous rifts in the newly republican, deeply divided and highly stratified Roman society that ultimately led it to the brink of violent collapse. With this most disturbing presidential campaign drawing to a close, and Americans by the millions tearing their hair out, setting this particular play in a simulated United States of today carries greater weight." - Charles Isherwood, New York Times.

The New Yorker declared this "a vital and even invigorating staging of an infrequently mounted play. Dion Johnstone, as Coriolanus, can evoke all the anxiety and exhilaration of a full battlefield with the emotions that play across his face, and Patrick Page, whose Menenius is conceived as a folksy Southern establishment politician, is an alchemist with the language, rendering his every line in rhythms that feel uncannily contemporary and American."

Michael Sexton, artistic director of The Shakespeare Society, directs a cast led by acclaimed Canadian actor Dion Johnstone making his NYC debut in the title role, and featuring RSC veteran Lisa Harrow (Wit, The Omen), Broadway luminaries Patrick Page (Cymbeline, Spring Awakening) and Stephen Spinella (Love! Valour! Compassion!, Angels in America, Volpone), alongside Matthew Amendt ('Tis Pity She's a Whore), Zachary Fine (Fiasco's Two Gents), Rebecca S'Manga Frank, Merritt Janson (Tamburlaine), Aaron Krohn (Cabaret), Edward O'Blenis, Christina Pumariega (Volpone), and Olivia Reis, an alumna of Red Bull's training program, making her professional debut.

Dion Johnstone's theater credits include acclaimed performances in Othello, The Tempest, Titus Andronicus, Macbeth, Agamemnon, Electra, and King Lear at Stratford Festival; A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare Theatre Centre); Pericles, Julius Caesar (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); Father Comes Home From The Wars Parts I, II & III, Raisin in the Sun (Soulpepper Theatre); Lord of the Rings (Mirvish Productions); Film and TV credits include "Ties That Bind" (series lead), The Listener, Flashpoint, "Sea Wolf" (miniseries), "Ice Twisters" (TV movie), "Stargate SG-1."

William Shakespeare's Coriolanus has a limited engagement at the Barrow Street Theatre (27 Barrow Street at 7th Avenue) through November 20th only.

The Government Inspector, directed by Jesse Berger will open this Spring at a theater to be announced. All politics are local. Gogol's deeply silly satire of small-town corruption offers a riotous portrait of rampaging self-delusion. When the crooked leadership of a provincial village discovers that an undercover inspector is coming to root out their commonplace corruption, the town weaves a web of bribery, lies, and utter madness. This New York Premiere of acclaimed playwright Jeffrey Hatcher's (Stage Beauty) adaptation offers a hilarious reminder of the timelessness of bureaucracy and buffoonery. Cast and design team, as well as performance schedule, will be announced shortly. Member tickets are available now. Single tickets will go on sale in March.

Red Bull Theater, hailed as "the city's gutsiest classical theater" by Time Out New York, is the not-profit Off-Broadway theater company specializing in plays of heightened language. With the Jacobean plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries as its cornerstone, Red Bull Theater embraces the imagination of theatergoers through intimate, imaginative productions of great classic stories from all eras and cultures.

Acclaimed as "a dynamic producer of classic plays" by The New York Times, Red Bull Theater has previously staged productions of Pericles, The Revenger's Tragedy, Edward the Second, Women Beware Women, The Duchess of Malfi, The Witch of Edmonton, The Maids, The Dance of Death, Loot, The Mystery of Irma Vep, Volpone, 'Tis Pity She's A Whore, as well as last season's hit productions of Middleton and Rowley's The Changeling and Sheridan's The School For Scandal. The company's work has been hailed as "the most exciting classical theater in New York" (Time Out New York), "Dynamite!" (The New York Times), "Triumphant" (Associated Press), and "Proof that classical theater can still be surprising after hundreds of years" (Variety).

Red Bull Theater's work has been recognized with multiple Drama Desk, Drama League, Lucille Lortel, Callaway and OBIE Award nominations and awards, including the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Revival in the 2015-'16 season (School for Scandal). The company has staged nearly 150 Revelation Readings, named by the Village Voice "Best Play Reading Series," also developing new plays of heightened language and classical adaptations through workshops and offering educational programs for students of all ages. Post-play Bull Session discussions with scholars following select Sunday matinees and Readings are free and open to the public.

Red Bull Theater offers Master Classes throughout the year. Taught by top working professionals including Kathleen Chalfant, John Douglas Thompson, Olympia Dukakis, Heidi Griffiths, and Patrick Page, Red Bull Theater's intensives and workshops cover a variety of disciplines, including auditioning, text, voice, movement, clowning, stage combat, and acting Shakespeare. Classes are open to adults at all levels of training or experience. They range from one to four days with limited class sizes to allow one-on-one attention. You can enroll in any combination of classes, or take the whole series for a year-long training experience.

Visit www.redbulltheater.com for complete details. Memberships and member tickets on sale now, offering up to 30% off regular prices. Single tickets for Coriolanus are on sale now. Single tickets for The Government Inspector will go on sale in March.

For tickets and more information, visit www.redbulltheater.com or call (212) 352-3101.