TWELFTH NIGHT's Esparza Talks Hathaway, Career And The Internet To The AP

Broadway favorite Raul Esparza, currently appearing in the Shakespeare in the Park production of TWELFTH NIGHT, is featured in a new interview by the Associated Press. In the article, Esparza talks about the production and his co-star, Anne Hathaway, as well as his career and his interaction with the internet.

"She is a goddess!" declares Esparza, talking excitedly about Hathaway in his dressing room. "First of all, Annie has managed to feel like a consummate stage professional in a span of just a few weeks, and she hasn't that much experience on stage. She's certainly never done Shakespeare before. She's also good people. She works really hard."

When asked about a possible move away from the stage and to the silver screen, Esparza said there has been "an awful lot of interest coming from Hollywood, but to me, that's like playing a craps game." The actor adds, "I suppose someday the dice will come up. You just keep rolling 'em. And maybe that's what I'll do."

To read the entire article, click here.

TWELFTH NIGHT officially opened June 25th and runs through July 12th at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park as part of Shakespeare in the Park 2009. 

TWELFTH NIGHT, one of Shakespeare's most beloved romantic comedies, is a time-honored story of cross-dressing and mistaken identity that follows the romantic adventures of Viola and her identical twin Sebastian, both shipwrecked in the enchanted dukedom of Illyria.

The Shakespeare in the Park production of TWELFTH NIGHT, is directed by Daniel Sullivan and features Anne Hathaway as Viola.

Joining Hathaway in the production are OBIE winner Michael Cumpsty (Hamlet at Classic Stage) as Malvolio; three-time Tony Award nominee Raúl Esparza (Speed-the-Plow on Broadway) as Orsino; Hamish Linklater ("The New Adventures of Old Christine") as Sir Andrew Aguecheek; four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (110 in the Shade on Broadway) as Olivia; two-time Tony Award nominee David Pittu (What's That Smell at the Atlantic) as Feste; and Jay O. Sanders (Daniel Sullivan's A Midsummer Night's Dream at Shakespeare in the Park) as Sir Toby Belch.

Additional casting includes Herb Foster as Valentine; Kevin Kelly as Sea Captain; Tony nominee Stark Sands as Sebastian; Baylen Thomas as Curio; Jon Patrick Walker as Fabian; and Tony Award winner Julie White as Maria. TWELFTH NIGHT features original music by symphonic folk-rock band Hem.The Ensemble for TWELFTH NIGHT includes Clifton Duncan, David Kenner, Leslie Harrison, Slate Holmgren, Dorien Makhloghi, Ray Rizzo, and Zach Villa.

TWELFTH NIGHT features original music by symphonic folk-rock band Hem, scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Jane Greenwood, lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski, sound design by Acme Sound Partners, fight direction by Rick Sordelet, and choreography by Mimi Lieber.

The Public Theater again offers a limited number of free tickets through a Virtual Line, available at www.publictheater.org. The process will be the same as last year where on the day of a show, users can log on to the virtual line anytime between midnight and 1 p.m. to register for tickets for that evening's performance. After 1 p.m. that same day, users can log on to see if they have received tickets through the Virtual Line, which they can then claim at the Delacorte Theater Box Office between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. that evening. A valid photo ID is required for all Virtual Line pick-ups at the box office. The Public Theater will also be implementing a Senior Virtual Line this year which functions the same way as the regular virtual line but registrants must be 65 or older to be eligible.

Summer Supporter tickets for TWELFTH NIGHT and THE BACCHAE are available for a tax-deductible contribution of $170. These reserved seats are only available for a limited time to ensure that the highest number of free seats will be available to distribute to the general public on the day of the show. Summer Supporter tickets help to underwrite production expenses. Supporter tickets are available at The Public Theater Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street or online at www.publictheater.org.

For additional information about Shakespeare in the Park, visit The Public Theater website at www.publictheater.org.

Photo by Joan Marcus