The Public Theater Extends HEAD OF PASSES, Starring Phylicia Rashad

The Public Theater has announcedd a one-week extension today for the New York premiere of Head of Passes, part of Oskar Eustis' 10th anniversary season. Written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Tina Landau, Head of Passes officially opens tonight, Monday, March 28 and was originally scheduled to close on Sunday, April 17. It will now run an additional week through Sunday, April 24.

Complete casting for Head of Passes features Alana Arenas (Cookie), Francois Battiste (Aubrey), Kyle Beltran (Crier), J. Bernard Calloway (Spencer), John Earl Jelks (Creaker Johnson), Robert Joy (Dr. Anderson), Phylicia Rashad (Shelah), and Arnetia Walker (Mae).

Member tickets, and single tickets starting at $60, are available now and can be accessed by calling (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street. A post-show talkback with the cast and creative team is scheduled to take place immediately following the performance on Wednesday, April 6. The Library at The Public is open nightly for food and drinks, beginning at 5:00 p.m., and Joe's Pub at The Public continues to offer some of the best music in the city.

Tarell Alvin McCraney, MacArthur Award-winning playwright of the acclaimed Brother/Sister Plays, has written a poetic and contemporary parable inspired by the Book of Job. At the mouth of the Mississippi River, Shelah's family and friends have come to celebrate her birthday and save her from a leaking roof but unexpected events turn the reunion into the ultimate test of faith and love. As her world seems to collapse around her, Shelah must fight to survive the rising flood of life's greatest challenges. Head of Passes is a co-production with Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

HEAD OF PASSES features scenic design by G.W. Mercier; costume design by Toni-Leslie James; lighting design by Jeff Croiter; sound design by Rob Milburn and Michael Bodeen; and wig and hair design by Robert-Charles Vallance.

Photo by Joan Marcus