Public Hosts Post Show Discussion For FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS 6/5-28

The Public Theater (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis; Executive Director Andrew D. Hamingson) will present post-show discussions following select performances of FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8 & 9), the final play of the 2008-2009 Public LAB season. The Public LAB Speaker Series consists of engaging conversations with the artists and notable panelists. FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8 & 9) begins performances on Friday, June 5 and runs through Sunday, June 28.

In FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8 & 9), Suzan-Lori Parks takes the stage to play the role of our guide leading through a multimedia epic tale about slavery, war, freedom, and the difficulty of family ties. Part I tells the story of Penny, a slave, awaiting her husband's return from the Civil War while resisting her own desire to flee with a band of runaway slaves. Parts 8 & 9, set in present day, follow a Poet-General struggling with the reality of his impending death while he plans his annual celebration for the army troops. Tickets are $10 for all performances and include free admission to post-show discussions.

The cast for FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8 & 9) features Nicole Beharie, Seth Gilliam, Patrice Johnson, James McDaniel, Joan MacIntosh, Lucas Papaelias, Suzan-Lori Parks, and Frederick Weller.

FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8 & 9) will feature scenic design by Neil Patel, costume design by Emilio Sosa, lighting design by Lap Chi Chu, sound design by Dan Moses Schreier, and video design by Shawn Sagady.

After the 7 p.m. performance on Tuesday, June 16, the Speaker Series will present "Metadrama: Bring It On!", Suzan-Lori Parks (writer of FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8 & 9) in conversation with Glenda Carpio (Associate Professor of African and African American Studies and English at Harvard University and author of Laughing Fit to Kill: Black Humor in the Fictions of Slavery).

After the 7 p.m. performance on Tuesday, June 23, the Speaker Series will present "Meet the Artists of FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8 & 9)," a conversation between Suzan-Lori Parks, cast members from the play, and Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis.

Public LAB is an annual series of new plays that lets New Yorkers see more of the work they love from The Public and LAByrinth Theater Company in stripped-down productions. Public LAB allows The Public Theater to support more artists, and gives audiences immediate access to new plays.

FATHER COMES HOME FROM THE WARS (PARTS 1, 8 & 9) will begin performances on Friday, June 5 and run through Sunday, June 28. The performance schedule is Tuesdays at 7; Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 PM; Saturdays at 2 PM and 8 PM; and Sundays at 2 PM and 7 PM. There will be no performance on Thursday, June 25 and a special added performance on Monday, June 22 at 8 p.m.

The Public Theater is located at 425 Lafayette Street. All tickets are $10 and can be purchased at (212) 967-7555 or by visiting www.publictheater.org.