Ticket Lottery for $25 Tickets to Royal Shakespeare Company Begins

Lincoln Center and Park Avenue Armory announced today a $25 rush ticket program - RSC Rush - to give budget-minded theater-goers a chance to see the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in New York this summer. From July 6 through August 14 the RSC will perform five of the famous bard's plays in repertory-As You Like It, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, and The Winter's Tale-as part of an unprecedented six-week residency co-presented by Lincoln Center Festival and Park Avenue Armory in association with The Ohio State University.

This residency represents the first time in the history of the company visiting the United States that the RSC will perform five of Shakespeare's plays in repertory for 44 performances on a full-scale recreation of the RSC's Stratford-upon-Avon Theatre, to be built inside the Armory's soaring Wade Thompson Drill Hall, and bringing actors and audiences closer together. This will be the only opportunity for American audiences to see this ensemble, whose members will have worked together for three intense years by the time they arrive in New York. The ensemble has been assembled by Michael Boyd, RSC Artistic Director.

RSC Rush will offer a limited number of $25 tickets to each of the RSC's performances every week. The program will begin on June 28 and continue through August 2. Full price tickets are also available by calling CenterCharge at 212.721.6500, clicking on LincolnCenterFestival.org, or visiting the Avery Fisher or Alice Tully Hall box offices on 65th St. and Broadway.

How the RSC Rush Works
The weekly lottery opens each Tuesday and closes the following Thursday night at 11:59 PM. Participants may enter once each week by visiting LincolnCenter.org/RSCrush and selecting a personal wish list of plays from the performances offered. Winners will be contacted by email every Friday afternoon with information on how to purchase tickets for winning entries. Each ticket is $25 (plus a $3 facility fee).

Tickets must be picked up on the day of the performance at Park Avenue Armory (643 Park Avenue between 66th & 67th Streets). For matinees, pick up between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for the 1:30 p.m. show; for evening performances, pick up between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show.

Tickets not picked up in the time frame indicated will be released for sale.

The Royal Shakespeare Company is appearing with the permission of Actor's Equity Association.

Lincoln Center, Park Avenue Armory, and the Royal Shakespeare Company gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the following individuals and foundations that have made possible the summer 2011 engagement.

The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
Suzie and Bruce Kovner

With additional generous support from:
The Pershing Square Foundation
Susan and Elihu Rose
Lady Sainsbury of Turville
F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc.
The Bodman Foundation
The supporters of the Producers Circle

Open captioning is being provided, in part, by a grant from Theatre Development Fund's TAP Plus program in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts.

Lincoln Center Festival 2011 is sponsored by American Express.

Lincoln Center Festival 2011 is also made possible by Suzie and Bruce Kovner, Daniel and Estrellita Brodsky, Culture Ireland, Nancy A. Marks, LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Isilon Systems LLC, a division of EMC, Lady Sainsbury of Turville, The Skirball Foundation, The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc., The Katzenberger Foundation, Inc., The Shubert Foundation, Jennie and Richard DeScherer, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Grand Marnier Foundation, The Pershing Square Foundation, The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, Barry Friedberg and Charlotte Moss, The Mitsui USA Foundation, Brother International Corporation, Chris and Bruce Crawford, J.C.C. Fund of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York, The Joelson Foundation, Georges Lurcy Charitable and Educational Trust, Mitsubishi International Corporation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, Zabar's and Zabars.com, Great Performers Circle, Chairman's Council, and Friends of Lincoln Center.

Public support for Festival 2011 is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Endowment support for Festival 2011 is provided by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Nancy Abeles Marks.

Movado is an Official Sponsor of Lincoln Center, Inc.

United Airlines is the Official Airline of Lincoln Center, Inc.

First Republic Bank is the Official Sponsor of the Fashion Lincoln Center Online Experience.

MetLife is the National Sponsor of Lincoln Center, Inc.

"Summer at Lincoln Center" is sponsored by Diet Pepsi and The Wall Street Journal.

Lincoln Center Festival is a presentation of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA), which serves three primary roles: presenter of superb artistic programming, national leader in arts and education and community relations, and manager of the Lincoln Center campus. As a presenter of over 400 events annually, LCPA's programs include American Songbook, Great Performers, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Midsummer Night Swing, the Mostly Mozart Festival, Tully Scope Festival, White Light Festival, and Live From Lincoln Center. In addition, LCPA is leading a series of major capital projects on behalf of the resident organizations across the campus.

Lincoln Center is committed to providing and improving accessibility for people with disabilities. For information, call the Department of Programs and Services for People with Disabilities at (212) 875-5375.

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