Dennehy, Harris, Kline Will Be Part of Public Theater’s 2006-2007 Season

The Public Theater has announced preliminary plans for its 2006-2007 season, including commitments from Tony Award winner Kevin Kline to perform a still-to-be-chosen Shakespeare play this fall, to be directed by James Lapine, and for Tony winner Brian Dennehy to make his Shakespeare in the Park debut in 2007 in a play yet to be named.

Other shows on the Public’s calendar, with dates yet to be determined, are Neil LaBute’s drama Wrecked starring Ed Harris; the world premiere of Julia Cho’s family drama Durango, to be directed by Chay Yew; the New York premiere of Daniel Beaty’s solo show Emergence-See!; the world premiere of the new musical Passing Strange, co-authored by and starring performace artist Stew; and the New York premiere of Craig Lucas’ acclaimed multi-generational drama The Singing Forest, to be directed by Tony nominee Bartlett Sher.

The Public will also offer the New York premiere of 365 Days/365 Plays, which will consist of the 365 plays to be written over one year by Pulitzer Prize winner Suzan-Lori Parks. A diverse cross-section of New York theater companies will participate in this project — which is also part of a national play festival that will take place in such cities as Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Denver. Tickets to this show will be free at the Public.

As previously announced, the Public will once again be home to the LAByrinth Theatre Company. Among their productions will be Jack Goes Boating starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Ortiz, and Daphne Rubin-Vega. Also on tap are two free reading series, New Work Now! and New Work Then, along with the annual Under the Radar Festival and globalFest.

Finally, The Public will co-produce the world premiere of David Henry Hwang’s Yellowface, which will debut at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in spring 2007 before coming to New York in the fall.