The Lincoln Center Theater production of John Guare's new play, A FREE MAN OF COLOR, directed by George C. Wolfe, begins previews tomorrow (Saturday, October 23) at 8pm at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. The cast features Yao Ababio Peter Bartlett, Nicole Beharie, Arnie Burton, Rosal Colón, Veanne Cox, Paul Dano, Sara Gettelfinger, Derric Harris, Justina Machado, Joseph Marcell, John McMartin, Nick Mennell, Mos, Teyonnah Parris, Postell Pringle, Esau Pritchett, Brian Reddy, Reg Rogers, Triney Sandoval, Robert Stanton, Wendy Rich Stetson, Jerome Stigler, Senfaub Stoney, David Emerson Toney and Jeffrey Wright. Opening night is Thursday, November 18 at 6:45pm
A FREE MAN OF COLOR is a freewheeling epic set in 1801 New Orleans. Jacques Cornet, the title character (played by Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor
Jeffrey Wright), is a new world Don Juan and the wealthiest inhabitant of this sexually charged and racially progressive city. Jacques thinks all is well in his paradise until history intervenes, setting off a chain of events which no one, much less this free man of color, realizes is about to splinter the world.
A FREE MAN OF COLOR has sets by
David Rockwell, costumes by
Ann Hould-Ward, lighting by
Jules Fisher and
Peggy Eisenhauer, sound by
Scott Stauffer, original music by
Jeanine Tesori and choreography by
Hope Clarke.
A FREE MAN OF COLOR marks
John Guare's return to
Lincoln Center Theater where his plays The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, Four Baboons Adoring The Sun (all three nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play) and Chaucer in Rome, were produced. His other plays include Rich and Famous, Landscape of the Body, Marco Polo Sings A Solo, Bosoms and Neglect, Lydie Breeze, Women and Water, A Few Stout Individuals and His Girl Friday. He won a Tony Award for the book of the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona and also wrote the book for the musical Sweet Smell of Success.
Director
George C. Wolfe makes his LCT debut with this production. Former Producer of
The Public Theater, his Broadway directorial credits include Caroline or Change, Topdog/Underdog,
Elaine Stritch At Liberty, Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk, The Tempest, On the Town, The Wild Party, Jelly's Last Jam and Angels in America. His film credits include Lackawanna Blues and Nights in Rodanthe.
This season, in addition to A FREE MAN OF COLOR,
Lincoln Center Theater will be producing the premieres of the new musical Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, based on the film by
Pedro Almodóvar, with a book by
Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by
David Yazbek and direction by
Bartlett Sher (opening Thursday, November 4) on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre,
Jon Robin Baitz' Other Desert Cities, directed by
Joe Mantello, (beginning Thursday, December 16) in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, the American premiere of the
National Theatre of Great Britain's critically acclaimed production of
War Horse (beginning Tuesday, March 15) in the Vivian Beaumont Theater and the New York premiere of A Minister's Wife, a new musical version of Shaw's Candida (beginning Thursday, April 7) in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. LCT3,
Lincoln Center Theater's programming initiative devoted to the work of new artists, will present three productions next season at The Duke on 42nd Street including the world premieres of The Coward, a new play by
Nick Jones, directed by
Sam Gold (November 8 - December 4) and When I Come To Die, by
Nathan Louis Jackson, directed by
Thomas Kail (January 31 - February 26).
A FREE MAN OF COLOR is sponsored by The
National Actors Theatre Foundation. This play is also a recipient of an "Edgerton Foundation New American Plays" award. The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust provides generous support for new American plays at LCT.
The performance schedule is Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8pm with matinees Wednesday and Saturday at 2pm and Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets priced at $70 to $115 are available at the
Lincoln Center Theater box office, by calling Tele-Charge at (212) 239-6200 or on-line by visiting www.lct.org.
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