'Antony and Cleopatra' with Robins & Csokas Opens April 3 at The Duke

Theatre for a New Audience's production of William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra featuring Laila Robins and Marton Csokas in the title roles and directed by Darko Tresnjak begins previews Saturday, March 22 at 7:30PM for an opening Thursday, April 3 at 6:30PM at The Duke on 42nd Street (229 West 42nd Street)

"Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare's unforgettable study of mature lovers who sacrifice all for love, is also a study in two cultures:  the formality of Rome pitted against the sensuality of Roman Egypt.  Shot through with rich language and charged with a Chekhovian sense of regret, this is one of the crown jewels of the world's dramatic poetry," describe press notes, "Tresnjak's production sets the drama in the late 19th century era of the great Europeans which, like Ancient Rome, looked to Africa as a prize for conquest."

Darko Tresnjak is the recently appointed Co-Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and is the Artistic Director of the Old Globe Shakespeare Festival.  For Theatre for a New Audience, Tresnjak staged All's Well that Ends Well (2006) and The Merchant of Venice (2007) with F. Murray Abraham, which traveled to England and was presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company as part of its Complete Works Festival.  Tresnjak has also directed for The Public Theatre, LA Opera, Blue Light Theater Company, the Vineyard Theater Company, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, among many others.  He is the recipient of the Alan Schneider Award for Directing Excellence.

Laila Robins last appeared with Theatre for a New Audience two years ago in Sore Throats by Howard Brenton.  Since then, she has appeared in Heartbreak House with Roundabout and A Midsummer Night's Dream for the New York Shakespeare Festival.  She has played on Broadway in Frozen (Lortel Award Nomination/Outstanding Featured Actress), The Real Thing and The Herbal Bed.  She was Portia in The Merchant of Venice at the Public Theater, played title roles in Hedda Gabler and Antony and Cleopatra at the Guthrie and has performed on the stages of Steppenwolf Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and Hartford Stage.

Marton Csokas, making his New York stage debut, was seen in the films Kingdom of Heaven, Asylum, The Bourne Supremacy and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Csokas first became well-known for his recurring role on the television series, "Xena."  A native of New Zealand, most of his stage work has been in Australia, where he was nominated as Best Actor for a 2007 Sydney Theatre Award for his performance as George in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Antony and Cleopatra will have sets by Alexander Dodge, lighting by York Kennedy, costumes by Linda Cho, choreography by Peggy Hickey and sound by Jane Shaw.  Rick Sordelet is the fight choreographer.

Also cast in Antony and Cleopatra are Nathan Blew, Jeffrey Carlson, Christine Corpuz, Greg Derelian, Grant Goodman, Randy Harrison, James Knight, George Morfogen, Ryan Rogers, Christian Rummel, Matthew Schneck, Christian Simon, Erik Singer, John Douglas Thompson and Lisa Velten.

Single tickets are $75 and can be purchased by calling 646-223-3010.  For ages 25 and under, $10.00 tickets are available through the Theatre's New Deal ticket program.  New Deal tickets may be purchased for all performances, including day-of or future performances, with valid I.D. anytime during box office hours at The Duke on 42nd Street, 229 West 42nd Street.

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