Machada, McMartin Join LCT's A FREE MAN OF COLOR, Begins 10/21

Lincoln Center Theater (under the direction of André Bishop, Artistic Director, and Bernard Gersten, Executive Producer) has announced final casting for its upcoming production of John Guare's new play A FREE MAN OF COLOR. Justina Machada (HBO's Six Feet Under and Broadway's , In The Heights) and veteran actor John McMartin (Follies, Into The Woods, Showboat, Sweet Charity) will join Paul Dano, mos and Jeffrey Wright in the production, to be directed by George C. Wolfe. Also joining the cast of 32 will be Yao Ababio, Derric Harris, Esau Pritchett, Jerome Stigler and Senfaub Stoney. A FREE MAN OF COLOR will begin performances Thursday, October 21 at 8pm at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Opening night is Thursday, November 18 at 6:45pm.

The cast will also feature Peter Barlett, Nicole Beharie, Arnie Burton, Rosal Colon, Veanne Cox, Sara Gettelfinger, Joseph Marcell, Nick Mennell, Teyonah Parris, Brian Reddy, Reg Rogers, Triney Sandoval, Robert Stanton, Wendy Rich Stetson and David Emerson Toney.

A FREE MAN OF COLOR is a freewheeling epic set in 1801 New Orleans. Jacques Cornet, the title character (to be played by Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright), is a new world Don Juan and the wealthiest inhabitant of this sexually charged and racially progressive city. Jacques thinks all is well in his paradise until history intervenes, setting off a chain of events which no one, much less this free man of color, realizes is about to splinter the world.

A FREE MAN OF COLOR will have sets by David Rockwell, costumes by Ann Hould- Ward, lighting by Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, sound by Scott Stauffer, original music by Jeanine Tesori and choreography by Hope Clarke.

A FREE MAN OF COLOR marks John Guare's return to Lincoln Center Theater where his plays The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, Four Baboons Adoring The Sun (all three nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play) and Chaucer in Rome, were produced. His other plays include Rich and Famous, Landscape of the Body, Marco Polo Sings A Solo, Bosoms and Neglect, Lydie Breeze, Women and Water, A Few Stout Individuals and His Girl Friday. He won a Tony Award for the book of the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona and also wrote the book for the musical Sweet Smell of Success.

Director George C. Wolfe will make his LCT debut with this production. Former Producer of The Public Theater, his Broadway directorial credits include Caroline or Change, Topdog/Underdog, Elaine Stritch At Liberty, Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk, The Tempest, On the Town, The Wild Party, Jelly's Last Jam and Angels in America. His film credits include Lackawanna Blues and Nights in Rodanthe.

This season, in addition to A FREE MAN OF COLOR, Lincoln Center Theater will be producing the premieres of the new musical WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, based on the film by Pedro Almodóvar, with a book by Jeffrey Lane, music and lyrics by David Yazbek and direction by Bartlett Sher (beginning Tuesday, October 5) on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre, Jon Robin Baitz' Other Desert Cities, directed by Joe Mantello, (beginning Thursday, December 16) in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, the American premiere of the National Theatre of Great Britain's critically acclaimed production of War Horse (beginning Tuesday, March 15) in the Vivian Beaumont Theater and the New York premiere of A Minister's Wife, a new musical version of Shaw's Candida (beginning Thursday, April 7) in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater. LCT3, Lincoln Center Theater's programming initiative devoted to the work of new artists, will present three productions next season at The Duke on 42nd Street including the world premieres of The Coward, a new play by Nick Jones, directed by Sam Gold (November 8 - December 4) and When I Come To Die, by Nathan Louis Jackson, directed by Thomas Kail (January 31 - February 26).

A FREE MAN OF COLOR is sponsored by The National Actors Theatre Foundation. This play is also a recipient of an "Edgerton Foundation New American Plays" award. The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust provides generous support for new American plays at LCT.

Tickets to A FREE MAN OF COLOR will be available beginning Sunday, September 12 at the Lincoln Center Theater box office, at telecharge.com or by visiting www.lct.org.

Photo credit: Carlos Gustavo Monroy

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