The Public Theater's WILD WITH HAPPY Closes Today, November 18

The Public Theater's acclaimed production of Wild With Happy, written by Colman Domingo and directed by Robert O'Hara, closes today, Sunday, November 18. 

From Colman Domingo (a Tony Award nominee for The Scottsboro Boys and an Obie Award winner for Passing Strange) comes a deeply imaginative and utterly outrageous new work that explores the bizarre comedy that lies within death and healing. Gil, an actor who's struggling to carve out his own new life, finds his worlds colliding when his mother dies and he decides to have her cremated. But where should he scatter the ashes? And can he make a fairytale ending for her in the one place that made her Wild With Happy?

The complete cast of Wild With Happy features Colman Domingo (Gil); Korey Jackson (Terry); Maurice McRae (Mo); and Sharon Washington (Adelaide, Aunt Glo).

Wild With Happy features scenic and costume design by Clint Ramos, lighting design by Japhy Weideman, original music and sound design by Lindsay Jones, and projection design by Aaron Rhyne.

ROBERT O'HARA (Director). For The Public, O'Hara has directed The Brother/Sister Plays (Part 2), and Insurrection: Holding History. His Off-Broadway and regional credits include In The Continuum, Eclipsed, Antebellum, A Raisin In the Sun, A Life in the Theater, Man in Love, BootyCandy. He is a recipient of Obie, Helen Hayes, NAACP, and Oppenheimer Awards.

Colman Domingo (Playwright, Gil) has appeared at The Public in Passing Strange and Henry V. His Broadway credits include The Scottsboro Boys, Passing Strange, Chicago, and Well. He has appeared Off-Broadway in Blood Knot, A Boy and His Soul, The Wiz, Bright Idea. His current and upcoming film releases include Red Hook Summer (Spike Lee), The Butler (Lee Daniels), Lincoln (Steven Spielberg), Lucky Dog (Phil Morrison), Hairbrained (Billy Kent),"42" (Brian Helgeland). As a playwright he has written Up Jumped Springtime, A Boy and His Soul, and The Brother's. His fellowships include Sundance, NYTW, New Professional Theater and Lunt-Fontanne.

Korey Jackson (Terry) has been seen regionally in Duck Crossing, Five Guys Named Moe, and Dreamgirls. A recent graduate of New York University's Graduate Acting Program at Tisch School for Performing Arts, Jackson's select NYU credits include The Henry Box Brown Play, Sueno, Acquainted with the Night, The Emperor Antony, The Rivals, and Richard III. Jackson has been seen on television in "Law & Order: SVU."

Maurice McCrae (Mo) has appeared in New York in All God's Chillum' Got Wings, American Ma(u)l, and Young Black Men… His regional credits include A House With No Walls, The Piano Lesson, The Ninth Wave, Fences, Cheaters, Soldier's Play, and Jonin.' His television credits include "24," "Guiding Light," "JAG," NYPD Blue," and "Maloney."

Sharon Washington (Adelaide, Aunt Glo) has appeared in The Public Theater Productions of Coriolanus, Cymbeline, Richard III, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, and Before It Hits Home. She has appeared on Broadway in The Scottsboro Boys and Off-Broadway in The Overwhelming, String of Pearls, House, Garden, Seeking the Genesis, The Radical Mystique, and Joined at the Head. Her select film and television credits include Rocksteady, An Invisible Sign, Michael Clayton, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, "Royal Pains," and "Damages."

Completed in October 2012, the revitalization of The Public Theater's downtown home at Astor Place physically manifests the Company's core mission of sparking new dialogues and increasing accessibility for artists and audiences by dramatically opening up its landmark building to the street and community, and transforming the lobby into a public piazza for artists, students, and audiences. Designed by Ennead Architects and constructed by Westerman Construction, the project encompasses enhancements to the building's interior and exterior while preserving the historic structure. Key elements of the design include infrastructure updates to the 158-year old building, as well as construction of new exterior entry stair and glass canopy; installation of ramps for improved accessibility; an expanded and refurbished lobby; the addition of a mezzanine level with a new lounge, The Library, designed by the Rockwell Group; expansion and remodeling of restroom facilities; and comprehensive exterior restoration, ensuring stability of the landmark façade.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. 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 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 its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean 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, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

WILD WITH HAPPY began performances on October 9; opened on October 23 and runs through today, November 18 in The Public's LuEsther Theater.

For more information, visit www.publictheater.org. 

Pictured: Colman Domingo and Sharon Washington. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.