The Public Theater Presents Shakespeare in Southampton Benefit Evening 8/15

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will present Shakespeare in Southampton, a fundraiser for the Shakespeare Initiative hosted by Jesse L. Martin ("Law & Order," Shakespeare in the Park 2010), and featuring a performance of All's Well That Ends Well, directed by Shakespeare Initiative Director Barry Edelstein.

The event will be held at the Southampton home of Roz and Richard Edelman and is presented by the Edelmans, Victoria and David Elenowitz, Joan and George Hornig, and The Public. The evening will begin with cocktails at 4 p.m., followed by the All's Well That Ends Well performance at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. (All's Well is an 80-minute, eleven-actor adaptation of the play.) Tickets are available for $150 (including cocktails and performance only), or $500 (includes cocktails, performance, and dinner.)

"The Public Theater began when Joseph Papp put Shakespeare on the back of a truck and brought him to venues around New York City. That work is still a vital part of our mission," said Shakespeare Initiative Director Barry Edelstein. "The funds raised at this event will allow us to reach even more communities and introduce this playwright to audiences who have few chances to know him. We're grateful to the incomparable Jesse L. Martin for hosting, and to the Hornig, Elenowitz, and Edelman families, and we know that Shakespeare in Southampton will continue to be a highlight of our year."

For more information, or to order tickets, please call (212) 539-8547 or email events@publictheater.org.

In addition to producing world-class Shakespeare at the renowned Shakespeare in the Park and its East Village headquarters, The Public Theater's Shakespeare Initiative includes programming that brings the wonders of Shakespeare to under-served young people and communities around New York City. This programming serves thousands annually and includes Shakespeare Lab, Jr.; Summer ShakeUp; Mobile Shakespeare Lab; and A Midsummer Day's Camp.

The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Andrew D. Hamingson, Executive Director) was founded by Joseph Papp in 1954 and is now one of the nation's preeminent cultural institutions, producing new plays, musicals, and productions of classics at its downtown and at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. The Public's mandate to create a theater for all New Yorkers continues to this day onstage and through extensive outreach and education programs. Each year, over 250,000 people attend Public Theater-related productions and events at its downtown headquarters, Joe's Pub, and Shakespeare in the Park. The Public has won 42 Tony Awards, 151 Obies, 41 Drama Desk Awards and four Pulitzer Prizes. The Public has brought 54 shows to Broadway, including Sticks and Bones; That Championship Season; A Chorus Line; The Pirates of Penzance; The Tempest; Bring In ‘Da Noise, Bring In ‘Da Funk; On the Town; The Ride Down Mt. Morgan; Topdog/Underdog; Elaine Stritch at Liberty; Take Me Out; Caroline, or Change; Well; Passing Strange; the Tony Award-winning revival of Hair; and this fall, the rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the 2010 Shakespeare in the Park production of The Merchant of Venice. www.publictheater.org.

Bank of America is the proud Season Sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park.

The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities.

Time Warner is the Supporting Sponsor of The Public's 2009-2010 season. Bloomberg is the Supporting Season Sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park. The New York Times is the exclusive Print Media Sponsor, and WNYC/WQXR Radio is the Media Sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park. Penguin Group is the official Publishing Sponsor of Shakespeare in the Park. Additional generous support for the 2010 season of Shakespeare in the Park is provided by the George T. Delacorte Fund at the New York Community Trust - Fund for Performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Major support for The Public Theater is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Shubert Foundation, the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, the Susan Stein Shiva Foundation, the George T. Delacorte Fund at the New York Community Trust-Fund for Performances at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, and by Warren Spector and Margaret Whitton.

Additional generous support is provided by the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Shen Family Foundation, and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

Public support is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Special thanks to Continental Airlines, the official airline of The Public Theater.

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