Renee Elise Goldsberry, and More Join the Public's WE RISE: A CELEBRATION OF RESISTANCE

The Public Theater in collaboration with the Resistance Revival Chorus announced additional casting today for the free Public Forum, WE RISE: A CELEBRATION OF RESISTANCE, on Monday, August 13 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. This one-night-only event puts both the music and the movement onstage with performances, speeches, and more.

Jojo Abot, Ayo, Abby Dobson, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Deva Mahal, Indya Moore, Jess Morales, Angel Nafis, Diana Oh, and Members of the Rebel Verses Ensemble from Developing Artists join the previously announced Valerie June, Shakina Nayfack, the Resistance Revival Chorus,Shaina Taub, and Flor de Toloache for this special Public Forum looking at resistance and civic engagement. The evening will be a celebratory look at the past, present, and future of resistance and civic engagement as the country starts to turn its attention to the midterm elections.

"It has been a joy collaborating with our friends at the Resistance Revival Chorus," said Public Theater Director of Special Artistic Projects Stephanie Ybarra. "Women have been at the center of resistance and social justice movements throughout history ? it's thrilling to honor and celebrate that legacy with an evening amplifying the voices of female artists and activists."

FREE tickets to WE RISE: A CELEBRATION OF RESISTANCE will be distributed, two per person, at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, August 13. For more ticket information please visit www.publictheater.org. Public Forum: We Rise tickets will also be distributed by digital lottery on the TodayTix app and website on Monday, August 13. A limited number of vouchers for Public Forum: We Rise will also be distributed on Monday, August 13 via an in-person lottery at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street at Astor Place. The Public's Delacorte Theater is accessible by entering at 81st Street and Central Park West, or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.

Previous Public Forums at the Delacorte have included the 2016 Welcome Home: A Celebration of World Refugee Day, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee, which featured a naturalization ceremony for brand new American citizens led by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson on the stage of the Delacorte. In 2014, Public Theater Scholar in Residence James Shapiro curated Public Forum: Shakespeare in Americato celebrate the bard's plethora of work with notable participants James Earl Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Jessica Chastain. In 2013, What Are We Worth? Shakespeare, Money, and Morals, a partnership with the Aspen Institute, featured readings from Shakespeare's greatest works by acclaimed actors Alan Alda, Vanessa Redgrave, Liev Schrieber, and Matt Damon, and a town hall discussion by Harvard professor Michael Sandel.

"Community, sisterhood, self-expression, and the power of the arts are just some of the ways in which we stay motivated to fight, to resist, to protest for our freedom," said Resistance Revival Chorus Co-Founder Ginny Suss. "They can take a lot, but they cannot take our joy; celebrating joy as a form of resistance has become our mission and has given us the strength to continue to stand up for what matters. We are thrilled that in partnership with The Public Theater we'll be able to share this with a wider audience at We Rise: A Celebration of Resistance on August 13."

PUBLIC FORUM, now in its ninth season, brings together surprising combinations of artists, audiences, and experts to explore the issues and ideas raised on our stages. Through one-of-a-kind events and our digital engagement platform Digiturgy, Public Forum engages both the world of our plays and the world at large with some of the most original thinkers of today.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski