THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Begins in Central Park - Tonight!

The Public Theater's 2013 season of free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte begins tonight. This summer, all performances for THE COMEDY OF ERRORS and LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, A NEW MUSICAL will begin at 8:30 p.m. with running times of approximately 90 minutes, no intermission.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS will feature Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Dromio) and Hamish Linklater (Antipholus), J. Clint Allen (Ensemble);de'Adre Aziza (Courtesan); Becky Ann Baker (Emilia); Emily Bergl (Adriana); Keith Eric Chapelle (Balthasar); Robert Creighton (Angelo); Reggie Gowland (Ensemble);Jonathan Hadary (Egeon/Pinch); Bryan Langlitz (Ensemble); Heidi Schreck (Luciana); Skipp Sudduth (Duke/Luce); and Jessica Wu (Ensemble). The non-equity ensemble includes Tyler Caffall, ReEd Campbell, Brian T. Lawton, Michael McArthur, Rachel McMullin, Natalie Woolams-Torres, and Adrienne Weidert.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS, directed by Daniel Sullivan, begins previews on Tuesday, May 28 and runs through Sunday, June 30, with an official press opening on Tuesday, June 18 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

The second show of The Public's free Shakespeare in the Park season, LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, A NEW MUSICAL, directed by Alex Timbers, with songs by Michael Friedmanand book adaptation by Alex Timbers, will begin previews on Tuesday, July 23 and run through Sunday, August 18, with an official press opening on Monday, August 12.

The cast of the musical LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST features Daniel Breaker (King of Navarre), Kevin Del Aguila (Dull), Colin Donnell (Berowne), Andrew Durand (Boyet), Kimiko Glenn (Maria), Jeff Hiller (Nathaniel), Rebecca Naomi Jones (Jaquenetta), Justin Levine (Moth), Patti Murin (Princess), Lucas Near-Verbrugghe (Dumaine), Bryce Pinkham(Longaville), Charlie Pollock (Costard), Caesar Samayoa (Don Armado), Maria Thayer (Rosaline), and Audrey Lynn Weston (Katherine).

The Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park continues to be the bedrock of the Company's mission to increase access. Since 1962, over five million people have enjoyed more than 150 free productions of Shakespeare and other classical works and musicals at the Delacorte Theater.

Daniel Sullivan's sparkling new production of THE COMEDY OF ERRORS concerns two sets of identical twins who were separated as children and now live as master-servant pairs in rival neighboring cities. When one pair crosses the border to find the other, so begins an exquisitely enjoyable mess of mistaken identity, wrongful imprisonment, questionable flirting and general mayhem. The stage is set for a wildly fun evening of physical comedy and brilliant wordplay as this irresistible Shakespearean masterpiece returns to Central Park for the first time in 20 years.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS features scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by ACME Sound Partners, original music by Greg Pliska and choreography by Mimi Leiber.

In LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, romance, revelry and enchanting music ignite in this contemporary yeT Lovingly faithful musical adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy. The King and his best buds decide at their five-year college reunion to swear off the joys of women. But when four cute, clever girls from their past show up, they're forced to reconsider all of that nonsense! Smart, sexy, outrageous, and irreverent, LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST is a madcap celebration of true love and coming of age. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST was developed in collaboration with Les Freres Corbusier.

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST features scenic design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by Jennifer Moeller, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, and sound design by ACME Sound Partners.

FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK TICKET INFORMATION

FREE TICKETS to The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park are distributed, two per person, at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park on the day of the show. The Delacorte Theater is accessible by entering at 81st Street and Central Park West, or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.

VIRTUAL TICKETING LOTTERY FOR FREE TICKETS will be available at www.shakespeareinthepark.org on the day of the show.

SUMMER SUPPORTER TICKETS, first conceived by Joe Papp as a way to support free Shakespeare in the Park, are available now for THE COMEDY OF ERRORS and LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. A fully tax-deductible contribution of $175 entitles each Supporter to one reserved seat for either production. A limited number of Summer Supporter seats are available to ensure that as many free seats as possible will be available to distribute to the general public on the day of the show. Supporter contributions help to underwrite free Shakespeare in the Park.

Supporter donations can be made at The Public Theater Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street, by phone at (212) 967-7555, or online at www.shakespeareinthepark.org. Seating locations for donors are allocated strictly by giving level and in the order that they are received.

The Delacorte Theater officially opened in Central Park on June 18, 1962 with The Merchant of Venice, directed by Joseph Papp and Gladys Vaughan and featuring George C. Scott as Shylock. The Merchant of Venice was followed that summer by a production of The Tempest, directed by Gerald Freedman and featuring Paul Stevens as Prospero and James Earl Jones as Caliban. The first Delacorte summer season concluded with King Lear, directed by Joseph Papp and Gladys Vaughan and featuring Frank Silvera as Lear. Since that time more than 150 productions have been presented for free at the Delacorte Theater. Highlights of past productions include Othello in 1964 with James Earl Jones; Hamlet in 1975 with Sam Waterston; The Taming of the Shrew in 1978 with Raul Julia and Meryl Streep; The Pirates of Penzance in 1980 with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt; Henry V in 1984 with Kevin Kline; Much Ado About Nothing in 1988 with Kevin Kline and Blythe Danner; Richard III in 1990 with Denzel Washington; Othello in 1991 with Raul Julia and Christopher Walken;The Tempest in 1995 with Patrick Stewart; The Seagull in 2001 with Natalie Portman, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Philip Seymour Hoffman; Mother Courage in 2006 with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline; Macbeth in 2006 with Liev Schreiber; HAIR in 2008 with Jonathan Groff and Will Swenson; Twelfth Night in 2009 with Anne Hathaway; The Merchant of Venicein 2010 with Al Pacino and Lily Rabe; the 2011 repertory productions of All's Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure; and most recently in 2012 As You Like It featuring Lily Rabe; and Amy Adams, Denis O'Hare, and Donna Murphy in the beloved musical Into The Woods.

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 at The Public, 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. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities. www.publictheater.org

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos