Public Theater Announces Additional Casting For Free Public Forum: QUEER & NOW

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced additional casting today for the special, free one-night-only event, PUBLIC FORUM: QUEER & NOW, on Monday, June 17 at 8:00 p.m. at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park. In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and WorldPride in New York City, Public Forum adds its voice to the chorus of LGBTQ+ artists, activists, and organizers fighting for a better tomorrow, today.

Jordan E. Cooper, Murray Hill, Jari Jones, The Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Color Guard, Diana Oh, and Jacqueline Woodson join the previously announced Trevor Bachman, Kate Bornstein, Lea DeLaria, Ryan J. Haddad, The Jerriese Johnson Gospel Choir, Erin Markey, Darnell Moore, Peppermint, Toshi Reagon, Conrad Ricamora, Aneesh Sheth, and Chase Strangio for this special Public Forum hosted by Jomama Jones. The event will feature readings of pieces by James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and Harvey Milk and excerpts from iconic Public Theater Productions, including The Normal Heart, Fun Home, and more. Join in a celebration of music, poetry, prose, and theater as PUBLIC FORUM: QUEER & NOW honors the legacy of resistance and the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ liberation and pride. PUBLIC FORUM: QUEER & NOW is an Official WorldPride Event.

A long-time artistic home for queer voices, The Public has premiered game-changing works like Larry Kramer's A Normal Heart, Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori's Fun Home, and Richard Greenberg's Take Me Out. Joe's Pub has been honored to present groundbreaking queer artists such as Taylor Mac, Justin Vivian Bond, and Jomama Jones, among many others. As a theater of, by, and for all people, The Public is committed to elevating new voices through art and activism on all of its stages. PUBLIC FORUM: QUEER & NOW will honor The Public's extensive theatrical legacy of queer voices, as well as excerpts from iconic figures, historic moments, and the exciting new queer voices of tomorrow.

The Public's PUBLIC FORUM is a space where art, ideas, and action collide. Previous Public Forum events at The Delacorte have included the 2018 We Rise: A Celebration of Resistance, in collaboration with the Resistance Revival Chorus, a celebratory look at the past, present, and future of resistance and civic engagement by women that featured Shakina Nayfack, Shaina Taub, Flor de Toloache, and the Resistance Revival Chorus. In 2016, Welcome Home: A Celebration of World Refugee Day, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee, began with a naturalization ceremony for brand new American citizens led by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson on the stage of The Delacorte. In 2014, Public Theater Scholar in Residence James Shapiro curated Public Forum: Shakespeare in America to celebrate the Bard's plethora of work with notable participants James Earl Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Jessica Chastain. In 2013, What Are We Worth? Shakespeare, Money, and Morals, a partnership with the Aspen Institute, featured readings from Shakespeare's greatest works by acclaimed actors Alan Alda, Vanessa Redgrave, Liev Schrieber, and Matt Damon, and a town hall discussion by Harvard professor Michael Sandel.

Public Forum creates exciting opportunities for communities to engage deeply with current events, original thinkers, and the most pressing questions of our time. We energize civic responsibility by inviting people from all backgrounds to share, converse, and connect. Public Forum hosts one-night-only events, special performances, post-show discussions, and town hall conversations, as well as programming curated with the Public Shakespeare Initiative.

Tickets to PUBLIC FORUM: QUEER AND NOW will be distributed in a number of ways. On the day of the event, free tickets may be acquired in person at The Delacorte Theater, through a digital lottery via the TodayTix website or mobile app, and via an in-person lottery in the lobby of The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street. All tickets are subject to availability. Complete ticket distribution details can be found at PublicTheater.org.

A limited number of tickets are also available via advance reservation by making a contribution in support of The Public Theater. To learn more, or to make a contribution, call 212.967.7555, or visit 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.

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