The Sol Project's OEDIPUS EL REY Begins Tonight at The Public

A friendly reminder that The Public Theater will begin previews tonight, October 3, for the New York premiere of the electrifying play, OEDIPUS EL REY in collaboration with The Sol Project.

Part of The Public's Astor Anniversary Season at their landmark downtown home on Lafayette Street, celebrating 50 years of new work at 425 Lafayette Street and the 50th Anniversary of HAIR. Written by Luis Alfaro and directed by Chay Yew, the show has been previously extended two weeks through Sunday, December 3, with an official press opening on Tuesday, October 24.

Continuing The Public's mission to make great theater accessible to all, The Public's First Performance "Free for All" continues this fall; free tickets to the first preview on Tuesday, October 3 at 8:00 p.m. will be available beginning September 26, via TodayTix mobile lottery.

The complete cast of Oedipus El Rey features Juan Castano (Oedipus, Coro); Sandra Delgado (Jocasta); Julio Monge (Tiresias, Coro); Joel Perez (Creon, Coro); Brian Quijada (Coro); Reza Salazar (Coro); and Juan Francisco Villa (Laius, Coro).

Set in South Central L.A., Oedipus El Rey is an electrifying new take on the Greek tragedy, written by acclaimed playwright Luis Alfaro. Oedipus is reimagined as a troubled Latino whose dreams of controlling his own destiny soar above the barbed wire of the prison where he's spent his life. But in a place where everyone is trapped-by desperation or fate, history or violence-no one man can change his story alone. Love, family and belief collide in this chilling, incredibly powerful new play that asks: what's fate, and what's just the system?

OEDPIUS EL REY features scenic design by Riccardo Hernandez, costume design by Anita Yavich, lighting design by Lap Chi Chu, original music and sound design by Fabian Obispo, and fight and intimacy direction by Unkle Dave's Fight House.

The world-renowned 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. This fall begins The Public's Astor Anniversary Season celebrating 50 years of new work at 425 Lafayette Street and the 50th Anniversary of HAIR which opened the landmark theater in October 1967. 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 by 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 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; the Under the Radar Festival, a yearly festival celebrating diverse and cutting-edge performance from the U.S. and abroad; and audience and artist development initiatives that range from the Emerging Writers Group to the Public Forum series. The Public's work is also seen on tour throughout the U.S. and internationally and in collaborations and co-productions with regional and international theaters. 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. The Public is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning acclaimed American musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda and in Fall 2017, John Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons. The Public has received 59 Tony Awards, 169 Obie Awards, 53 Drama Desk Awards, 54 Lortel Awards, 32 Outer Critics Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics Awards, and six Pulitzer Prizes. Visit www.publictheater.org.

Launched in May 2016, The Sol Project is a New York City-based theater initiative dedicated to producing the work of Latinx playwrights. Founded by Artistic Director Jacob G. Padrón and driven by a collective of actors, producers and directors, The Sol Project will elevate the visibility of Latinx writers in New York and nationally by activating a network of partner theaters committed to artistic excellence and racial equity. Twelve playwrights, at all stages in their careers, are each partnered with leading Off-Broadway companies to mount main stage productions. Regional partners throughout the country then commit to the continued life of each play with subsequent productions. By placing Latinx voices alongside the most celebrated theater-makers of our time, The Sol Project hopes to contribute to the vibrant theater ecology by building a bold, timeless, and kaleidoscopic body of work for the new American theater. The Sol Project's founding artistic collective is: Claudia Acosta, Elena Araoz, Adriana Gaviria, David Mendizábal, Padrón, Kyoung Park and Laurie Woolery. Current Off-Broadway partners include: New Georges, Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, The Public Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, LAByrinth Theater Company, WP Theater, MCC, Playwrights Horizons, and The Playwrights Realm. Regional partners include: Cara Mía Theater Company (Dallas, TX), Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The Sol Project's honorary board includes Raúl Castillo (HBO's Looking), Junot Díaz (Pulitzer Prize-winning author), Priscilla Lopez (Tony Award-winning actress), Sandra Marquez (Steppenwolf ensemble member), Edward James Olmos (Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor), John Ortiz (co-star, Silver Linings Playbook), Tony Plana (ABC's Ugly Betty), Chita Rivera (Presidential Medal of Freedom), Diane Rodriguez (OBIE-winning actress, member of National Arts Council) Rosalba Rolón (Artistic Director of Pregones/PRTT) and Daphne Rubin-Vega (Tony nominated-actress, original company of Rent).