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Phylicia Rashad, John Douglas Thompson Take Part in Public Shakespeare Presents

The pair read the title roles in ”Antony and Cleopatra” for the event, titled ”To Imagine an Antony – Shakespeare’s Infinite Fancy”.

Editorial Staff
New York City
Phylicia Rashad and John Douglas Thompson led the cast in a reading of Antony and Cleopatra at Public Shakespeare Presents: To Imagine an Antony – Shakespeare's Infinite Fancy.
Phylicia Rashad and John Douglas Thompson led the cast in a reading of Antony and Cleopatra at Public Shakespeare Presents: To Imagine an Antony – Shakespeare’s Infinite Fancy.
(© Joseph Augstein)

The Public Theater and the Shakespeare Society's joint Public Shakespeare Initiative continued last night, December 18, at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College with Public Shakespeare Presents: To Imagine an Antony — Shakespeare's Infinite Fancy.

The evening explored the question of how Shakespeare took the story of a middle-aged general risking his hard-won reputation as a soldier for a torrid love affair with his exotic, capricious girlfriend, and transmute them both into mythic figures of high romance and tragedy. Oxford scholar and prize-winning author of The Genius of Shakespeare, Jonathan Bate, led the evening.

The cast takes a bow.
The cast takes a bow.
(© Joseph Augstein)

Participating actors included John Douglas Thompson and Phylicia Rashad in the title roles. They were joined by Chukwudi Iwuji, Jacob Fishel, Nikki Massoud, and Phumzile Sitole.

Under the leadership of Shakespeare Society artistic director Michael Sexton. The Public Shakespeare Initiative's programming presents education and artist development programs as well as one-night-only events exploring the ideas and themes of certain Shakespeare works.