THE MERCHANT OF VENICE Wins 2011 AEA Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity Award

Actors' Equity Association (Equity) announced today that The Public Theater's acclaimed production of THE MERCHANT OF VENICE is the recipient of its Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award for the 2010-2011 Season. The Award will be presented at a reception at the Equity headquarters in New York City on Tuesday, June 7, 2011. In addition, Equity will receive a Mayoral Proclamation, presented by Commissioner Katherine Oliver, designating June 7th as Diversity on Broadway Day.

The Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity Award, presented by Equity's Eastern Region Equal Employment Opportunity Committee, honors and encourages those who actively promote the goals of diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity for those who work in the theater. Accepting the award will be Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater.

Produced by The Public Theater, Jeffrey Richards and Jerry Frankel, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE is one of Shakespeare's most thrilling and controversial plays and starred Al Pacino, Lily Rabe, David Harbour, Jesse L. Martin,Byron Jennings, Heather Lind, David Aaron Baker, Gerry Bamman, Matthew Rauch, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Isaiah Johnson, Christopher Fitzgerald, Peter Francis James, Richard Topol, Thomas Michael Hammond, Charles Kimbrough and Seth Numrich. The cast also featured Happy Anderson, George Bartenieff, Liza J. Bennett, Glenn Fleshler, Luke Forbes, Herb Foster, Bryce Gill, Jade Hawk, Bethany Heinrich, Curt Hostetter, Tia James, Kelsey Kurz, Brian Keith Macdonald, Dorien Makhloghi, Kim Martin-Cotten, Brian Sgambati and Baylen Thomas.

Directed by Daniel Sullivan, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE featured scenic design by Mark Wendland; costume design by Jess Goldstein; lighting design by Kenneth Posner; sound design by Acme Sound Partners; and original music by Dan Moses Schreier.

Actors' Equity Association is the oldest performing arts union in the nation and represents more than 49,000 professional stage actors and stage managers. Equity will celebrate its 100th Anniversary in 2013.