Theatre for a New Audience Presents MACBETH, 3/20-4/21

John Douglas Thompson is playing the title role in Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth in Theatre for a New Audience's final and fourth show of its 31st Season.  Directed by Arin Arbus, this production reunites Ms. Arbus and Mr. Thompson whom she directed in the title role of Othello two seasons ago.  Mr. Thompson won OBIE and Lucille Lortel awards for his performance.  Macbeth features Annika Boras as Lady Macbeth, Albert Jones (Theatre for a New Audience's Pericles and Oroonoko) as Macduff and Graham Winton (Theatre for a New Audience's Don Juan, Julius Caesar, Pericles, Othello and Measure for Measure) as Banquo.  Macbeth begins previews Saturday, March 12 at 8:00pm, opens Sunday, March 20 at 7:00pm, and runs through Thursday, April 21 at The Duke on 42nd Street, a New 42nd Street® project, 229 West 42nd Street.  The production is sponsored by Deloitte.         

Rounding out the Macbeth cast are Justin Blanchard (Broadway: Journey's End; Witch of Edmonton, Red Bull), Steven Boyer (Theatre for a New Audience's Oliver Twist), Denis Butkus (Theatre for a New Audience's Othello and Measure for Measure), Peter Jay Fernandez (Broadway: Cyrano and Julius Caesar), Robert Langdon Lloyd (Theatre for a New Audience's Othello and Measure for Measure),  John Christopher Jones, (Theatre for a New Audience's Don Juan, Engaged, Hamlet and Measure for Measure), Saxon Palmer (Theatre for a New Audience's The Jew of Malta, The Merchant of Venice and Ohio State Murders), Roslyn Ruff (Broadway: Fences, Heart is a Lonely Hunter NYTW), Christian Rummel (Theatre for a New Audience's Othello), Tommy Schrider (CSC, Rattlestick and Red Bull), Andrew Zimmerman (Brooklyn Underground Theatre) and Marquis Rodriguez (The Lion King).

Scenic and mask designs are by Julian Crouch (Co-Artistic Director, Improbable Theatre, Shockheaded Peter, The Addams Family and Phillip Glass' Satyagraha ), costume design by Anita Yavich (Theatre for a New Audience's Svejk and Coriolanus),  lighting design by Marcus Doshi (Theatre for a New Audience's Othello, Hamlet and Measure for Measure), composition and sound design by Sarah Pickett (Theatre for a New Audience's Othello and Measure for Measure), voice director Andrew Wade and fight direction by B.H. Barry (Theatre for a New Audience's Othello, Measure for Measure and 2010 Tony Award).

In addition to Othello, Mr. Thompson has also appeared in Theatre for a New Audience's Oroonoko for which he received an AUDELCO nomination, and Antony and Cleopatra.  On Broadway, he appeared in Cyrano de Bergerac with Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner, as well as Julius Caesar with Denzel Washington.  Off-Broadway appearances include the title role in The Emperor Jones at the Irish Repertory Theatre for which he received both a Lucille Lortel and a Drama Desk nomination, King Lear at the Classical Theatre of Harlem for which he received an AUDELCO nomination and Hedda Gabler at New York Theatre Workshop.  

Annika Boras last performed for Theatre for a New Audience in Chair by Edward Bond, directed by RoBert Woodruff, for which she received a Lucille Lortel nomination for outstanding featured actress.  She received a Drama League nomination for An Oresteia at Classic Stage Company where she also appeared in Orlando by Sarah Ruhl.

Arin Arbus, Theatre for a New Audience's Associate Artistic Director, was nominated for Lortel Awards for Outstanding Revival for Measure for Measure (2010) and Othello (2009).  Ms. Arbus received the 2008 Princess Grace Award.  She was a member of Soho Rep's Writer/Director Lab, Playwrights Horizons Directing Resident, a Williamstown Workshop Directing Corps Member and a Drama League Directing Fellow.   In 2010, at the invitation of Bartlett Sher, she directed Theatre for a New Audience's production of Othello at the Intiman Theatre.  She has also directed for Hangar Theatre, Theatre Outlet, FringeNYC, Storm Theatre, HERE Arts Center, Juilliard and Williamstown Workshop.  In association with Rehabilitation Through the Arts, Arbus also leads a theatre company of inmates at Woodbourne Correctional Facility - a medium security prison in upstate New York.

Founded in 1979 by Jeffrey Horowitz, Theatre for a New Audience's mission is to help develop and vitalize the performance and study of Shakespeare and classical drama. The Theatre vigorously engages with Shakespeare and plays from the world repertoire. The Theatre has produced twenty-nine of the Bard's plays with directors who include Sir Peter Hall, Mark Rylance, Bartlett Sher and Julie Taymor, and a diverse repertory by authors such as Harley Granville Barker, Edward Bond and Adrienne Kennedy. It has played on Broadway, and has toured nationally and internationally. 
 
In 2001, Theatre for a New Audience became the first American theatre invited to bring a production of Shakespeare to the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), Stratford-upon-Avon. Cymbeline directed by Bartlett Sher, premiered at the RSC and in 2007, Theatre for a New Audience was invited to return with The Merchant of Venice starring F. Murray Abraham and directed by Darko Tresnjak.  And The Merchant of Venice will return to New York this winter and play at Pace University's Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, 3 Spruce Street.  It previews February 27, opens March 5, and runs through March 13.
 
The Theatre's productions have been honored with Tony, OBIE, Drama Desk, Drama League, Callaway, Lortel and AUDELCO awards and nominations and reach an audience diverse in age, economics and cultural backgrounds. It created and runs the largest program in the New York City Public Schools for introducing students to Shakespeare which has served over 120,000 students. In conjunction with Columbia University, it runs a summer institute for NYC Public School teachers on the teaching of Shakespeare. It offers a free summer, drama program for high school students. The Theatre's distinctive Talk Back series for general audiences is free in conjunction with performances and its economically accessible ticket program includes the lowest reserved ticket price for youths and full time students in the city.

Tickets for Macbeth are $75 and may be purchased via phone at 646-223-3010 or via the web at www.dukeon42.org.