Pacino Receives First-Ever Oxford Prize from OSC

Al Pacino, currently starring in The Public Theater's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, has been named the first-ever recipient of Oxford Shakespeare Company's Oxford Prize. The award will be presented to Pacino later this summer, along with an Al Pacino Scholarship to OSC student Frank Franconeri.

Al Pacino is performing at The Public, where he previously played Marcus Antonius in Stuart Vaughan's production of Julius Caesar (1988), in Shakespeare in the Park's Merchant of Venice as Shylock this summer. On Broadway, he won Tony Awards for his performances in Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? and The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, and appeared in Camino Real, Richard III, American Buffalo, Chinese Coffee, Hughie (which he also directed), and two productions of Salome (1992 and 2003). His additional New York stage appearances include The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui, The Local Stigmatic and The Indian Wants The Bronx. He has appeared in more than 35 films, receiving Academy Award nominations for his performances in The Godfather, Serpico, The Godfather: Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, ...And Justice For All, Dick Tracy and Glengarry Glen Ross. He won an Oscar for Scent of a Woman and an Emmy for Mike Nichols' miniseries Angels in America.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) began Shakespeare in the Park performances on Wednesday, June 9 with the first preview of THE WINTER'S TALE, directed by Michael Greif. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, directed by Daniel Sullivan, began performances on Saturday, June 12. Both shows will play in repertory through Sunday, August 1 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Kennedy Center Award-winning playwright/director Ron Song Destro serves as the OSC founding director and Board President. Also a professional drama coach and actor, Mr. Destro is recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts grant, created an Emmy-Award winning Chinese educational television program, and received critical acclaim for his play Hiroshima, a collaboration with Yoko Ono, which won the 1997 Kennedy Center New American Play Award. For more information about OSC, please visit www.osctheatre.org/OSC/Home.html.