Shuler Hensley, Andrew Kober, and More Complete Cast of The Public's TWELFTH NIGHT

The Public Theater has announced complete casting for the Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night.

The complete Equity cast of Twelfth Night features Kim Blanck (Female Understudy), Ato Blankson-Wood (Orsino), Lori Brown-Niang (Maria), Troy Anthony (Sebastian), Nanya-Akuki Goodrich (Olivia), JW Guido (Featured Illyrian), Daniel Hall (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Javier Ignacio (Male Understudy), Nikki M. James (Viola), Jonathan Jordan(Antonio), Andrew Kober (Malvolio), Patrick J. O'Hare (Fabian), and Shaina Taub (Feste), with Shuler Hensley joining the company as Sir Toby Belch, replacing the previously announced Jacob Ming-Trent who had a scheduling conflict. The Equity company is joined by two rotating ensembles of community members from all five boroughs who will perform together on the Delacorte stage in this enchanting comedy.

Conceived by Kwame Kwei-Armah and Shaina Taub, with music and lyrics by Shaina Taub, choreography by Lorin Latarro, and directed by Oskar Eustis and Kwame Kwei-Armah, Twelfth Night will officially open on Tuesday, July 31 and will run through Sunday, August 19.

TWELFTH NIGHT features scenic design by Rachel Hauck, costume design by Andrea Hood, lighting design by John Torres, sound design by Jessica Paz, hair and wig design by Cookie Jordan, fight direction by Lisa Kopitsky, orchestrations by Mike Brun, and music direction by Shaina Taub.

In celebration of five extraordinary years of Public Works, a Public Theater initiative that invites community members across New York to create ambitious works of participatory theater, Free Shakespeare in the Park presents a re-imagining of Public Works' 2016 musical adaptation of Twelfth Night for a full five-week run in Central Park. Professional artists and two rotating ensembles of community members from all five boroughs will perform together on the Delacorte stage in this enchanting comedy about Viola (Nikki M. James), a young heroine who washes up on the shores of Illyria, disguises herself as a man, is sent to court a countess, and falls in love with a Duke. Featuring music and lyrics by critically-acclaimed songwriter Shaina Taub, this very special Twelfth Night is a unique partnership between two Public Theater programs that exemplify The Public's commitment to radical inclusion. Oskar Eustis, The Public's Artistic Director, and Kwame Kwei-Armah, incoming Artistic Director of London's Young Vic, helm this unforgettable musical about love in all its many disguises.

Public Works is a national and international initiative currently affiliated with four theaters throughout the U.S. and Europe to create ambitious works of participatory theater in the Public Works model. The current theaters are Dallas Theater Center in collaboration with SMU Meadows School of the Arts; Seattle Repertory Theatre; Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit; and The National Theatre in London. In March 2017, Dallas Theater Center presented their inaugural Public Works Dallas production, The Tempest, directed by DTC Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty and featuring 200 Dallasites. Seattle Repertory Theatre presented their inaugural Public Works Seattle production of The Odyssey in September 2017, directed by Marya Sea Kaminski. In October 2017, London's National Theatre announced a new partnership with The Public, PUBLIC ACTS, inspired by The Public's successful Public Works model. The partnership launches with a new staging of Pericles performed on the National Theatre's Olivier stage in August 2018, directed by National Theatre resident director Emily Lim. The Public Works productions of The Tempest, The Winter's Tale, and The Odyssey are also available to be produced through Theatrical Rights Worldwide. Additionally Public Works' As You Like It and Twelfth Night are available to be produced through The Musical Company.

The Public Works Shakespeare in the Park musical adaptation of Twelfth Night will run for five weeks during the summer in an expansion of the model that has been presenting Public Works pageant shows for limited performances in early September over the past five years at the Delacorte. The expanded five-week run this summer will allow 50,000 more New Yorkers to see this inspiring community initiative.

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.

TWELFTH NIGHT ticket vouchers will be distributed, while supplies last, on July 17 at Hunts Point Library (877 Southern Blvd, Bronx); July 19 at St. George Library (5 Central Avenue, Staten Island); July 20 at Center for Family Life (PS 503/PS 506 at 343 - 60th Street, Brooklyn); July 25 and August 8 at Mott Haven Library (321 E. 140th Street, Bronx); July 27 atFlushing Library (41-17 Main Street, Queens); July 29 and August 14 at Snug Harbor (1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island); August 2 at Windsor Terrace Library (160 E. 5th Street, Brooklyn), August 4 at Stapleton Library (132 Canal Street, Staten Island); August 10 at Long Island City Library (37-44 21st Street, Queens); August 11 at Brownsville Recreational Center (1555 Linden Blvd, Brooklyn); August 16 at Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning (161-4 Jamaica Avenue, Queens); and August 18 at DreamYard (1085 Washington Avenue, Bronx).

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.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos