Interview: Crystal Lucas-Perry Opens Up About Public Works' Divine PERICLES

What happens when the words of Shakespeare and the power of gospel music come together? Something like the magic that is happening onstage at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine with PERICLES: A Public Works Concert Experience.

This season’s Public Works production is a powerful concert experience of PERICLES, the Bard’s epic about losing and re-discovering faith. Reconceived by playwright and songwriter Troy Anthony, this magnificent new production performed by Public Works community members from all over New York City, is a celebration of life, love, and transformation. Inspired by Gospel music and the rousing power of the Black church, this new concert adaptation will be performed in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Associate Artistic Director of the Classical Theatre of Harlem Carl Cofield directs.

Crystal Lucas-Perry plays 'Gower' in the production and she is checking in with BroadwayWorld to tell us all about this powerful theatrical experience. 

How does it feel to be returning to The Public with this production? 

It feels like a true homecoming—a place where the past and present are  colliding in the most powerful way. Every corner of this building holds memories  for me, from working alongside Tony Kushner on A Bright Room Called Day, to  countless workshops and readings, and also the many times I’ve simply come  here to see plays that inspired me. And now I get to return to it all with Pericles,  surrounded by familiar faces and new ones alike. 

What makes it even more special is that we’re rehearsing in the very same  theater where I originated Passenger Five in the Off-Broadway production of  Ain’t No Mo’. So, to be back in that exact space, carrying those memories while  creating something entirely new, feels surreal. 

That’s the beauty of being here again—it isn’t just about honoring what came  before, it’s about building on it. With Public Works, the room is overflowing with  community members and artists who are gathering to tell this story together  ready to build something beyond themselves. To be back at the Public again,  with so much history and so much new energy, has me more inspired than ever.  

What have rehearsals been like so far? 

Rehearsals have been incredible! The ensemble had already been working  together the week before, so the energy, the music, and the text were already  alive when I arrived. From the very beginning, it felt like entering into something  vibrant that was already in motion, and that spirit has carried through every day  since. 

That’s due in large part to our trusted director, Carl Cofield, and our dedicated  associate director, Cornelius Davidson, who have created an environment where  we’re encouraged to explore, take risks, and discover the piece in real time. Our  brilliant choreographer, Tiffany Rea-Fisher, brings that same spirit into the  movement, helping us tell the story with our bodies and meeting people exactly  where they are — always reminding us that whatever we bring is enough. The  heartbeat of the room is Troy Anthony, the inspired creator of this adaptation,  whose vision fills the space with a joy that carries through every rehearsal, and it  is beautifully complemented by our gifted music director, Sam Appiah, whose  guidance grounds the work while lifting the entire ensemble. Holding it all  together is our exceptional stage management team, led by the meticulous  Michael Domue, who makes sure every moving piece is supported with  precision, thoughtfulness, and care.

And then there’s the work itself. This is a big, dynamic story to bring to life, and  we’re giving it the time and care it calls for. At the same time, I don’t think I’ve  laughed this much in a rehearsal room in a long while. That balance of rigor and  joy keeps the room alive and connected, which feels so true to the spirit of  Public Works. 

What’s also powerful is the scope of it all. At times, there are close to a hundred  people in the room, including organizations, community groups, and artists from  all five boroughs who are part of the production. That means we’re not just  rehearsing Shakespeare — we’re also learning about cultures, traditions, and  rituals that are being woven directly into the fabric of the piece. We start  together, we close together, and that rhythm is restorative in itself. It’s both a  continuation of the history I already hold in this theater and a new chapter of  building, experimenting, and discovering what this story can be. 

Pericles is such a beautiful story, and yet one of Shakespeare's lesser-known  plays. How does it feel to get to share it with people who might not know it yet? 

It’s such a gift. Pericles is one of those plays that surprises you, and it has  everything: adventure, heartbreak, loss, and ultimately renewal. It’s about losing  faith and finding it again, which feels so human and so timeless. What excites  me most is that so many people will be encountering it for the very first time.  There’s something really special about sharing a story that doesn’t carry the  weight of everyone’s expectations the way some of Shakespeare’s more familiar  works do. 

Instead, audiences get to experience it with fresh eyes and open hearts, and in  this production, through music and community, they’re invited to see themselves  inside of it. For me, that’s the joy of bringing Pericles to life here. We’re not just  reviving a lesser-known Shakespeare; we’re creating an entry point into a story  that feels deeply resonant today. 

How would you describe what's being done in making it a "concert experience”? 

What’s exciting about this “concert experience” is that it goes far beyond the  idea of standing at music stands and reading the text. Because of the incredible  gifts in the room (from our community members to the organizations we’re  collaborating with), we’re able to tell this story in a way that feels rich, layered,  and deeply alive. It’s still very much a concert in spirit, but the energy, the music,  and the physicality of what people are contributing allow the piece to feel closer  to a full production.

We’re also in a new space this year: the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, this  breathtaking sanctuary in the heart of Harlem. Traditionally, Public Works has  been performed outdoors at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, so  stepping into the Cathedral means navigating new terrain that opens up fresh  possibilities. The space itself almost feels like another character in the play,  supporting us and lifting the story beyond the frame of a traditional concert  experience into something uniquely its own. 

What the Public does every summer with Public Works and creating free theatre experiences is so important to the city. How does it feel to be a part of that tradition? 

During my time at Western Michigan University, my professor, mentor, and department chair Dr. Joan Herrington shared something that has stayed with me:  “The charge of the artist is to bring theatre to where there is none.” 

That truth has served as a guiding compass for both the work I embody and the  work I envision, which is why stepping into Public Works feels like such a natural  alignment. And this year, to be doing it uptown, in the heart of Harlem, in a  space that has never held this story before—and in a community that I belong  to, that deserves rich, quality, accessible theatre—makes it even more  meaningful. 

For me, Public Works is the living proof that theatre truly belongs to everyone.  It’s one thing to say that, but another to put it into action—to gather artists,  community members, and audiences together in one space and make that belief  real. To stand inside that mission with my own body, at this moment in history,  feels powerful and necessary. In a time when access to art can feel limited to the  few, Public Works holds fast to the truth that it is for all, and that commitment  remains a constant even as the world changes. 

In many ways, it mirrors Pericles itself. He endures storms that threaten to tear  everything apart, yet he survives and keeps moving forward. Art is much the  same—it will always face storms, but it endures because there are people and  institutions committed to keeping it alive. To be part of that tradition speaks  directly to the artist I am and the artist I want to continue to be, anchored in the  truth that theatre belongs to everyone and can live anywhere.

What are you most looking forward to in the run ahead? 

What excites me most is the moment when all of this work—the music, the  story, the community—meets the audience. There’s nothing like that exchange,  when what we’ve built in the rehearsal room takes on new life because people  are breathing it in, responding, and finding themselves inside the story. I’m also  excited about the families who will see their communities reflected on stage—to  watch people they know, people they live alongside, be part of this production  and this celebration. That’s going to be so powerful. 

I’m definitely looking forward to sharing it in the Cathedral itself, because the  scale of that space transforms everything. We’ve already had rehearsals there,  and even without an audience, you can feel how the story and the music expand  inside those massive walls. To hear Shakespeare lifted by gospel music in a  place of that magnitude—I can only imagine how moving it will be when the  seats are filled. 

And above all, I’m looking forward to the joy. There’s a song at the end of the  play that says, “Joy is available,” and that’s the heartbeat of this whole  experience. My hope is that people don’t just hear that line, but that they carry it  with them—that the joy we’ve been building in this room is the joy they walk  away with, knowing it is available to them.  

I’m just so proud to be a part of this extraordinary company, and I can’t wait for  everyone to experience what we’ve created together