The Public's Mobile Shakespeare Production of MACBETH Begins This Weekend

The Public Theater will begin previews for the MOBILE SHAKESPEARE UNIT production of MACBETH on Sunday, May 17. Directed by Edward Torres, MACBETH follows a three-week tour, bringing free Shakespeare to audiences who have limited or no access to the arts. The production will run at The Public Theater through Sunday, June 7 with an official press opening on Wednesday, May 20. All tickets are $20.

Tickets can be accessed by calling (212) 967-7555, visiting www.publictheater.org, or in person at the Taub Box Office at 425 Lafayette Street. To further the mission and reach of the MOBILE SHAKESPEARE UNIT, 20 tickets for each performance of the limited run at The Public Theater will be given to community organizations that cannot host a visit from the tour.

The complete cast of eight features Rob Campbell (Macbeth, Third Murderer); Keith Eric Chappelle (Banquo, Bloody Sargeant); Jennifer Ikeda (Lady Macbeth, First Witch); Nicole Lewis (Lady Macduff, Second Witch); Teresa Avia Lim (Third Witch, Lennox); Nick Mills (Porter, Ross); Daniel Pearce (Macduff, Duncan); and James Udom (Malcolm, Old Man).

MACBETH features scenic design by Wilson Chin; costume design by Amanda Seymour; and music composition by Michael Thurber.

The Public Theater's MOBILE SHAKESPEARE UNIT, part of The Public Theater's long-standing commitment to making Shakespeare accessible to all, returns with MACBETH. A wicked prophecy sets the soldier Macbeth on a murderous path to the throne. United by love and ambition, Macbeth and his wife decide to plot, scheme, and kill their way into power - but the price of power might be more than he can afford.

Now in its fifth year, MOBILE SHAKESPEARE UNIT is a reinvention of Joseph Papp's Mobile Shakespeare program, which began in 1957 to bring Shakespeare to the masses, evolving into the New York Shakespeare Festival and ultimately becoming The Public Theater. Recent Mobile Shakespeare Unit productions include Measure for Measure; Richard III; Much Ado About Nothing; and Pericles, Prince of Tyre. MOBILE SHAKESPEARE UNIT will also present educational workshops at selected tour venues, expanding The Public's existing community outreach and education program. This program will continue the expansion of The Public's Shakespeare Initiative, which includes the recent Public Works productions of The Tempest and The Winter's Tale staged at the Delacorte Theater for three nights for free; Free Shakespeare in the Park; and The Public's other affordable productions at its downtown home at Astor Place, all reinforcing the company's commitment to the ongoing exploration of Shakespeare's canon.

The MOBILE SHAKESPEARE UNIT is made possible with the support of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The Ford Foundation and The Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Additional generous support provided by Bloomberg and Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP. Special thanks to The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation's lead support for The Public's access and engagement programming.