OTHELLO Begins May 29 at Free Shakespeare in the Park

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) will begin previews for the 2018 Free Shakespeare in the Park production of OTHELLO beginning Tuesday, May 29 at the Delacorte Theater, continuing a 57-year tradition of free theater in Central Park. Directed by Tony Award winnerRuben Santiago-Hudson, OTHELLO will officially open on Monday, June 18 and will run through Sunday, June 24.

The complete cast of OTHELLO features Peter Jay Fernandez (Duke of Venice); Motell Foster (Roderigo); Andrew Hovelson (Lodovico); Chukwudi Iwuji (Othello); David Kenner (Ensemble); Heather Lind (Desdemona); Tim Nicolai (Ensemble); Flor De Liz Perez (Bianca); Miguel Perez (Brabantio); Thomas Schall (Montano); Caroline Siewert (Ensemble); Corey Stoll (Iago); Babak Tafti (Cassio); Peter Van Wagner (Gratiano); and Alison Wright (Emilia). The non-equity ensemble will feature Kevin Rico Angulo, Christopher Cassarino, Lily Santiago, and Allen Tedder.

Set amid war and palace intrigue in the 17th-century Mediterranean, this classic drama about a noble Black Venetian general whose marriage is sabotaged by theater's most infamous villain, Iago, remains Shakespeare's most urgent and relevant tragedy today. A lush, romantic vision gives way to the violent tangle of love and jealousy, race and revenge in this must-see production of Shakespeare's great tragedy, OTHELLO.

OTHELLO will feature scenic design by Rachel Hauck, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Jane Cox, sound design by Jessica Paz, hair and wig design by Matthew B. Armentrout, music composition by Derek Wieland, fight direction by Thomas Schall, and movement direction by Adesola Osakalumi.

Free Shakespeare in the Park continues in July with a reimagining of the 2016 Public Works musical adaptation TWELFTH NIGHT. The show features Ato Blankson-Wood(Orsino), Nikki M. James (Viola), Andrew Kober (Malvolio), Jacob Ming-Trent (Sir Toby Belch), and Shaina Taub (Feste) along with two rotating ensembles of community members from all five boroughs. The show features music and lyrics by critically-acclaimed songwriter Shaina Taub and is co-directed by Oskar Eustis, The Public's Artistic Director, and Kwame Kwei-Armah, incoming Artistic Director of London's Young Vic with choreography by Lorin Latarro. It will run from Tuesday, July 17 through Sunday, August 19 with an official opening on Tuesday, July 31.

This season, The Public proudly welcomes the return of The Jerome L. Greene Foundation and Bank of America as season sponsors. The generous support of Bank of America and The Jerome L. Greene Foundation helps to sustain The Public's mission of inclusion, creating great theater, boldly conceived, and free for all.

Since 1962, over five million people have enjoyed more than 150 free productions of Shakespeare and other classical works and musicals at the Delacorte Theater. Conceived by founder Joe Papp as a way to make great theater accessible to all, The Public's Free Shakespeare in the Park continues to be the bedrock of the Company's mission to increase access and engage the community.

Tickets to The Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park are distributed, two per person, at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park on the day of the show. The Public continues its partnership with TodayTix, who will again be offering the exclusive Mobile Ticket Lottery for Free Shakespeare in the Park. Tickets will be distributed by mobile lottery on the TodayTix app each date that there is a public performance at the Delacorte Theater. On each public performance date, a limited number of vouchers for that night's performance will also be distributed via an in-person lottery at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street at Astor Place.

PUBLIC SUPPORTERS are available for those who want to support Free Shakespeare in the Park by making a tax-deduction contribution (starting at $500) and receiving a pair of reserved seats for one production during the summer. The Partners Program also offers insider access through invitations to private backstage events, talks with artists, priority reserved seating at the Delacorte, and complimentary tickets to the downtown season at The Public and Joe's Pub. To learn more, or to make a contribution call 212-967-7555, or visit www.publictheater.org.

In addition to the ticket line at the Delacorte Theater, The Public Theater, and the TodayTix online distribution, a limited number of vouchers for specific performances will be distributed, while supplies last, at locations throughout New York's five boroughs. This year's distributions will have more locations and dates to provide New Yorkers more opportunities to obtain tickets. Each person in line is allowed two vouchers and each voucher is good for one ticket for that evening's performance. Vouchers must be exchanged for tickets at the Delacorte Theater Box Office that day from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For OTHELLO, ticket vouchers will be distributed, while supplies last, on Tuesday, May 29 in Queens at the Queens Library Elmhurst (86-07 Broadway); Thursday, May 31 in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Children's Museum (145 Brooklyn Avenue); Saturday, June 2 in the Bronx at the Bronx Library: Hunts Point (877 Southern Blvd); Tuesday, June 5 in Brooklyn at Brooklyn Library: Clinton Hill (380 Washington Ave); Saturday, June 9 in Staten Island at Snug Harbor (1000 Richmond Terrace); Thursday, June 14 in Queens at the Queens Library: Central (89-11 Merrick Blvd); Saturday, June 16 in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Library: King's Highway (2115 Ocean Ave); Wednesday, June 20 in the Bronx at DreamYard (1085 Washington Ave); Friday, June 22 in Staten Island at the Staten Island Library: St. George (5 Central Ave); and on Sunday, June 24 in Queens at the NY Hall of Science (47-07 111th Street).

For TWELFTH NIGHT, ticket vouchers will be distributed, while supplies last, on Tuesday, July 17 in the Bronx at the Bronx Library: Hunts Point (877 Southern Blvd); Thursday, July 19 in Staten Island at the Staten Island Library: St. George (5 Central Ave); Friday, July 20 in Brooklyn at the Center for Family Life (343 60th St.); Wednesday, July 25 in the Bronx at the Bronx Library: Mott Haven (321 E 140th St); Friday, July 27 in Queens at the Queens Library: Flushing (41-17 Main St); Sunday, July 29 in Staten Island at Snug Harbor (1000 Richmond Terrace); Thursday, August 2 in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Library: Windsor Terrace (160 E 5th St); Saturday, August 4 in Staten Island at the Staten Island Library: Stapleton (132 Canal St); Wednesday, August 8 in the Bronx at the Bronx Library: Mott Haven (321 E 140th St); Friday, August 10 in Queens at the Queens Library: Long Island City (27-44 21st St); Saturday, August 11 in Brooklyn at the Brownsville Recreation Center (1555 Linden Blvd); Tuesday, August 14 in Staten Island at Snug Harbor (1000 Richmond Terrace);Thursday, August 16 in Queens at the Jamaica Center for the Arts and Learning (161-4 Jamaica Ave); Saturday, August 18 in the Bronx at DreamYard (1085 Washington Ave).

To allow as many New Yorkers the opportunity to experience Free Shakespeare in the Park there will be an open caption performance on Saturday, June 9; an ASL performance on Friday, June 22; and an ADA audio described performance on Saturday, June 23 for OTHELLO. For TWELFTH NIGHT there will be an open caption performance on Saturday, August 4; an ASL performance on Friday, August 17; and an ADA audio described performance on Saturday, August 18. More information about these performances can be found at www.publictheater.org.

The Delacorte Theater in Central Park is accessible by entering at 81st Street and Central Park West or at 79th Street and Fifth Avenue. To learn more, or to make a contribution, call (212) 967-7555, or visit www.publictheater.org.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Othello Director) has appeared on The Public's stage in Lackawanna Blues (Obie, Helen Hayes), The Winter's Tale, Henry VIII, Measure for Measure, and East Texas Hot Links. His directing credits include Jitney (Tony Award, Drama Desk, Drama League, NY Drama Critics, Outer Critics Circle), The Piano Lesson(Lucille Lortel, Obie, Audelco), The Happiest Song Plays Last, My Children My Africa, The First Breeze Of Summer, Seven Guitars, Your Blues Ain't Sweet Like Mine, Two Trains Running, Things Of Dry Hours, Gem Of The Ocean, and Radio Golf. As an actor, he has appeared on Broadway in Seven Guitars (Tony Award), Stick Fly, Gem of the Ocean, and Jelly's Last Jam. His additional Off-Broadway credits include How I Learned What I Learned and Ceremonies in Dark Old Men.

ABOUT The Public Theater:

THE PUBLIC is theater of, by, and for the people. Artist-driven, radically inclusive, and fundamentally democratic, The Public continues the work of its visionary founder Joe Papp as a civic institution engaging, both on-stage and off, with some of the most important ideas and social issues of today. Conceived over 60 years ago as one of the nation's first nonprofit theaters, The Public has long operated on the principles that theater is an essential cultural force and that art and culture belong to everyone. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public's wide breadth of programming includes an annual season of new work at its landmark home at Astor Place, Free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, The Mobile Unit touring throughout New York City's five boroughs, Public Forum, Under the Radar, Public Studio, Public Works, Public Shakespeare Initiative, and Joe's Pub. Since premiering HAIR in 1967, The Public continues to create the canon of American Theater and is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Their programs and productions can also be seen regionally across the country and around the world. The Public has received 59 Tony Awards, 169 Obie Awards, 53 Drama Desk Awards, 54 Lortel Awards, 32 Outer Critic Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Desk Awards, and 6 Pulitzer Prizes. publictheater.org

ABOUT BANK OF AMERICA:

Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 47 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 4,500 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs, and award-winning digital banking with approximately 35 million active users, including approximately 24 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange: www.bankofamerica.com

ABOUT THE JEROME L. GREENE FOUNDATION:

For almost four decades The Jerome L. Greene Foundation has supported leading New York City institutions that advance education, healthcare, the arts and social justice. The Foundation invests in organizations that are transformative to the life of New York City and beyond, with a particular focus on providing access to the arts and education.

Lead support for Free Shakespeare in the Park provided by Bank of America and The Jerome L. Greene Foundation. Additional support provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies, JetBlue Airways, Penguin Random House, One57, TodayTix, The Kimberly, The New York Times, WNYC, NYC Parks, New York City Department Of Cultural Affairs, The New York State Council On The Arts, and National Endowment for the Arts. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Special support provided by The New York Community Trust - The George T. Delacorte Fund for Performance at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Lead support for PUBLIC WORKS is provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Hearst Foundations, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and The Tow Foundation. Additional support is provided by Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., The One World Fund, David Rockefeller Fund, The SHS Foundation, New York Community Trust, and New York State Council on the Arts. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation provides support for The Public's access and engagement programming. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

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