Theater News

John Lithgow Begins Performances in Shakespeare in the Park's King Lear Tonight

Annette Bening also stars in the Public Theater’s second free outdoor production of the season.

Annette Bening and John Lithgow star as Goneril and Lear in Shakespeare in the Park's King Lear.
Annette Bening and John Lithgow star as Goneril and Lear in Shakespeare in the Park's King Lear.
(© Tammy Shell)

Shakespeare in the Park's free summer production of King Lear begins performances tonight at the Public Theater's open-air Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The classic Shakespearean tragedy features John Lithgow in the title role, under Daniel Sullivan's direction. King Lear will run through August 17.

In addition to Lithgow, the cast features Annette Bening (American Beauty) as Goneril in her first New York stage appearance in two decades, Tony nominee Jessica Hecht (Stage Kiss) as Regan, and Jessica Collins (Les Liaisons Dangereuses) as Cordelia. Jay O. Sanders (The Apple Family Plays) will take on the role of Kent, with Chukwudi Iwuji (Antony and Cleopatra) as Edgar, Clarke Peters (The Wire) as Gloucester, Steven Boyer (Hand to God) as the Fool, Jeremy Bobb (House of Cards) as Oswald, Christopher Innvar (110 in the Shade) as Albany, Glenn Fleshler (February House) as Cornwall, Slate Holmgren (The Cherry Orchard) as King of France, Eric Sheffer Stevens (The Coast of Utopia) as Edmund, and Dale Place (Nikolai and the Others) as Old Man/Curan. The non-equity ensemble includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Burnap, Christopher Ghaffari, Ryan-James Hatanaka, Matt Helm, Dave Klasko, and Phillip Shinn.

King Lear's creative team features scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Susan Hilferty, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by ACME Sound Partners, and original music by Dan Moses Schreier.

For more information about King Lear, click here.

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King Lear

Closed: August 17, 2014