Jo Lampert to Star in David Byrne's JOAN OF ARC: INTO THE FIRE at The Public; Cast Set!

The Public Theater has announced casting for JOAN OF ARC: INTO THE FIRE, with book, music, and lyrics by David Byrne.

Directed by Alex Timbers, with choreography by Steven Hoggett, the show begins previews on Tuesday, February 14 and has been extended two weeks through Sunday, April 16, with an official press opening on Wednesday, March 15.

The cast features Terence Archie (Warwick); James Brown III (Priest, Judge); Jonathan Burke (Priest, Judge); Rodrick Covington (Priest, Judge); Sean Allan Krill (Bishop Cauchon); Jo Lampert (Joan); Mike McGowan (La Tremouille); Mary Kate Morrissey (Female Standby); Adam Perry (Priest, Judge); John Schiappa (Priest, Judge); Kyle Selig (Dauphin, King Charles); and Michael James Shaw (Baudricourt).

Once upon a time, there was a girl who talked to God. She built a nation, and they burned her for it. Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe winner David Byrne, lead singer of the Talking Heads and creator of The Public's hit Here Lies Love, explores the electrifying, meteoric rise of Joan of Arc through the lens of a one-of-a-kind rock musical concert. Directed by Golden Globe winner Alex Timbers, JOAN OF ARC: INTO THE FIRE is a thrilling and provocative new show about challenging the powerful and believing in the impossible.

JOAN OF ARC: INTO THE FIRE features scenic design by Chris Barreca, costume design by Clint Ramos, lighting design by Justin Townsend, sound design by Cody Spencer, projection design by Darrel Maloney, and music direction by Kris Kukul.

Member tickets for JOAN OF ARC: INTO THE FIRE, THE OUTER SPACE, GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM, and John Leguizamo: LATIN HISTORY FOR MORONS, can be accessed now. Single tickets can be accessed on Tuesday, January 10 by calling (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Terence Archie (Warwick) has appeared on Broadway and internationally in Rocky the Musical; Ragtime; Rocky Das Musical at the Operettenhaus in Hamburg, Germany. His Off-Broadway and regional credits include The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity at Second Stage and The Geffen; 1776 at City Center; All The Way and The Twelfth at DCPA; Twelfth Night at The Old Globe; Two Gentlemen of Verona, Tamburlaine the Great and Edward II at STC; Arabian Nights at Berkeley Rep and Arena Theatre. His recent television credits include "Blue Bloods," "The Mysteries of Laura," "Manhattan Love Story," "Madame Secretary," "The Blacklist," and "Blindspot."

James Brown III (Priest, Judge) has appeared on Broadway in Rocky, Wicked, Ghost, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Memphis, The Little Mermaid, The Color Purple, and The Frogs. He has performed in the National Tours of The Lion King and The Producers. Regionally, he has appeared in Sweet Charity, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Last Goodbye, and The C.A. Lyons Project. His television credits include "The Wiz Live!," "Peter Pan Live!," "The Mysteries of Laura," "Forever," "Mr. Robot," and "The Get Down." He studied at Brown University and is the Creative Director at the Broadway Style Guide.

Jonathan Burke (Priest, Judge) has appeared on Broadway in the original cast of Tuck Everlasting. His Off-Broadway and New York credits include Langston in Harlem; 48 Hours...In Harlem; The tours of Mary Poppins; A Christmas Story: The Musical; Joseph...; and Cats. His select regional credits include Head of Passes, Choir Boy, Hairspray, Rent, Amazing Grace, I Sing the Rising Sea. He received a B.F.A. from Ithaca College.

Rodrick Covington (Priest, Judge) has appeared on Broadway in The Lion King. His Off-Broadway credits include Invisible Thread; Drumstruck; Central Avenue Breakdown, where he was awarded Most Outstanding Individual Performance in the NYMTF. His regional credits include Witness Uganda; Miss Saigon; The Brothers/Sister Plays at Steppenwolf (Best Actor nomination, awarded Best Ensemble); Venice; Pippin; Jelly's Last Jam; In the Red and Brown Water. He appeared in the National Tour of Fosse, and other tours including South Africa at the renowned Baxter and Market Theatre as the lead in The Brother Size. His film and television credits include Mask of the Ninja; Three Verses; Memory Running; "Law & Order: Criminal Intent"; and "Chappelle's Show."

Sean Allan Krill (Bishop Cauchon) has appeared at The Public in The Brother/Sister Plays. His Broadway credits include Honeymoon in Vegas;On A Clear Day...; and Mamma Mia! Off-Broadway he has appeared in Hit the Wall, A Civil War Christmas. Regionally, he has appeared in Tony Award-nominated composer Paul Gordon's Sense and Sensibility as Colonel Brandon at The Old Globe and Chicago Shakespeare, receiving a Jeff Award nomination; Sideways at La Jolla; Hot L Baltimore at Steppenwolf; and The Comedy of Errors at Chicago Shakespeare. He has toured with Thoroughly Modern Millie earning Leon Rabin and Carbonell Award nominations. His television credits include "Mr. Robot."

Jo Lampert (Joan) is a Brooklyn-based performer, producer, and DJ. She recently toured with the band tUnE-yArDs. Lampert's selected upcoming NYC credits include The Good Swimmer; Hundred Days at The Public Theater's 2017 Under the Radar Festival; and you'll still call me by name. Lampert has appeared in Jo Lampert in the Lounge - a solo cabaret at Ars Nova; Rimbaud in NY at BAM; New York Animals directed by Eric Tucker at Bedlam; Iphigenia in Aulis directed by Rachel Chavkin at CSC; and Dance, Dance Revolution directed by Alex Timbers. Lapmert's international and regional credits include The LaMaMa Cantata written by Liz Swados, performed in Tokyo; The Bengsons' Hundred Days at Know Theatre, Z Space; Marie Antoinette at A.R.T and Yale Rep;Prometheus Bound at A.R.T.; and The Last Goodbye at Williamstown. Lampert is a Civilians Associate Artist, and received a B.F.A. from NYU Tisch.

Mike McGowan (La Tremouille) has appeared on Broadway in The Producers, Apple Tree, Ragtime, Grease, Priscilla. His Off-Broadway credits include GreyGardens, Macbeth, Bernstein's Mass. He has appeared in the national tour of The Book of Mormon and regionally in The First Wives Club, South Pacific, A Little Night Music at Huntington; Carnival at Goodspeed; Master Class, Kiss Me Kate directed by Darko Tresnak, MUD, and Life's a Dream at 10,000 Things Theatre; and Cabaret. His film and television credits include Big Words, The Dark Rite, The Producers, Blindspot, "The Good Fight," "Time After Time," "Deadbeat," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and "Delocated."

Mary Kate Morrissey (Female Standby) most recently appeared in the National Tour of Wicked as the Elphaba Standby. Off-Broadway she has appeared in Tamar of the River with Prospect Theater Company. Her regional theater credits include Elmer Gantry at Signature Theatre; Lizzie: The Musical at Portland Center Stage, Little Women at Syracuse Stage and the workshops of Fun Home at Sundance Theatre Lab and The Disappearing Man at Theatreworks Palo Alto/Cloud City/Musical Theatre Factory. She is a Syracuse University Graduate.

Adam Perry (Priest, Judge) has appeared on Broadway in Rocky; Anything Goes; Nice Work If You Can Get It; Promises, Promises; Wicked; and A Chorus Line. He has toured with Cats, Sweet Charity, and Wicked. His film and television credits include Hail Caesar!; Hello Again; My Week with Marilyn; The Miraculous Year; "Law & Order: SVU"; "Smash"; and "One Life to Live."

John Schiappa (Priest, Judge) has been seen at The Public in Take Me Out and on Broadway in Rocky, Wicked, The Other Place, Assassins, Take Me Out, Blood Brothers, Jekyll & Hyde, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Starlight Express. He has toured with West Side Story and has been seen Off-Broadway and regionally in Frank Wildhorn's Count of Monte Cristo, Barry Levinson's Diner the musical, and the Sir Michael Tippet opera New Year, The Other Place, Jerry Springer the Opera, Laughter on the 23rd Fl., Three Musketeers, Company, Romeo & Juliet, and Little Shop of Horrors. His film and television credits include Seeing Beauty; What Just Happened; "The Americans"; "The Big C"; "I Just Want My Pants Back"; "Kidnapped"; "Law & Order"; "Third Watch"; Law & Order: Criminal Intent"; "The Cosby Mysteries"; and "Monsters."

Kyle Selig (Dauphin, King Charles) made his Broadway debut in The Book of Mormon while in his junior year at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, and after appearing in the National Tour, played Elder Price on Broadway. Regionally he has appeared in October Sky, and West Side Story with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra at The Hollywood Bowl. He is a past winner of the Jimmy Award for High School Musical Theater and LA Music Center Spotlight Award. His original albums "And the Tree Was Happy" and "She Breathes" are available on iTunes and Spotify.

Michael James SHAW (Baudricourt) is an actor, writer and musician. He is best known for his roles as Agent Mike (Mike and Ike) on CBS's "Limitless," Marcellus in A&E's "Roots," Papa Midnight on NBC's "Constantine," and as Fantasy in Todd Solondz's Wiener-Dog (Sundance). He has received training at Howard University and The Julliard School.

David Byrne (Book, Music and Lyrics) co-founded the band Talking Heads in the mid-70s and created the highly regarded record label Luaka Bop. Recent work includes: Contemporary Color, an event inspired by the phenomenon of color guard performed at Brooklyn's Barclays Center and Toronto's Air Canada Centre (2015); Here Lies Love, a 22-song theatrical production about the life of Imelda Marcos authored in collaboration with Fatboy Slim that premiered at New York's Public Theater (2013), traveled to London's National Theatre for a sold out run (2014-2015), and will be re-mounted at the Seattle Repertory Theater (2017); Love This Giant, a studio album and worldwide tour created in collaboration with St. Vincent (2012);How Music Works, a book about how music is shaped by various contexts (2012); and Playing the Building, an interactive sound installation exhibited internationally at venues in Stockholm, New York, London, and Minneapolis (2005-2012). Recognition of David Byrne's work includes an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Grammy for his soundtrack for the 1987 film The Last Emperor, and three Drama Desk Awards, five Lucille Lortel Awards, an OBIE Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, and two Theatre World Awards for Here Lies Love. Upcoming work includes a musical about Joan of Arc to premiere at The Public Theater in March 2017. He regularly writes about society, culture, and all the other things on his mind at his website at www.davidbyrne.com.

Steven Hoggett (Choreography)'s major movement credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; The Twits; The Last Ship; Let The Right One In; The Crucible; The Glass Menagerie; Rigoletto; Rocky: The Musical; Once; Peter & The Starcatcher; American Idiot; Black Watch; and The Light Princess. As a director his credits include What's It All About; as music video choreographer, Bright Light, Bright Light by Imogen Heap and Susanne Sundfør. Film credits include How To Train Your Dragon 2 for Dreamworks and Freak Show for Maven Pictures. Steven co-founded Frantic Assembly, and with Scott Graham wroteThe Frantic Assembly Book of Devising Theatre (Routledge).

Alex Timbers (Director). For The Public, Timbers directed Here Lies Love, as well as directed and adapted the Shakespeare in the Park production of Love's Labour's Lost, and wrote the book for and directed Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. Additional credits include Oh Hello, The Robber Bridegroom, Rocky, Peter and the Starcatcher, which earned him a Tony nomination for Best Director of a Play, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, for which he was nominated for a Tony for Best Book of a Musical. Additionally, he is the recipient of the 2016 Jerome Robbins Award, as well as Golden Globe, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards and two Lortel and Obie Awards.

The Public Theater, under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare, the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. Celebrating his 10th anniversary season at The Public, Eustis has created new community-based initiatives designed to engage audiences like Public Lab, Public Studio, Public Forum, Public Works, and a remount of the Mobile Unit. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all; Public Works, an expanding initiative that is designed to cultivate new connections and new models of engagement with artists, audiences and the community each year; and audience and artist development initiatives that range from Emerging Writers Group and to the Public Forum series. The Public is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; and in October 2012 the landmark building downtown at Astor Place was revitalized to physically manifest the Company's core mission of sparking new dialogues and increasing accessibility for artists and audiences, by dramatically opening up the building to the street and community, and transforming the lobby into a public piazza for artists, students, and audiences. The Public is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning acclaimed American musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Public has received 59 Tony Awards, 168 Obie Awards, 53 Drama Desk Awards, 54 Lortel Awards, 32 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics Awards, and five Pulitzer Prizes.

Photo credit: Tammy Shell