The Public Theater's Mobile Unit production of A Midsummer Night's Dream will see Shakespeare's classic re-imagined in the streets of New York City under the vision of director Jenny Koons. The free, touring production will kick off a three-week tour of the five boroughs beginning October 4 ahead of a sit-down run at The Public October 28–November 17.
Koons directs a cast made up of Marinda Anderson as Hippolyta/Titania, Leland Fowler as Demetrius/Flute, Christopher Ryan Grant as Bottom, Merritt Janson as Theseus/Oberon, Carolyn Kettig as Hermia/Starveling, Jasai Chase Owens as Lysander/Snug, David Ryan Smith as Egeus/Quince/Fairy, Natalie Woolams-Torres as Puck, and Rosanny Zayas as Helena/Snout.
The Mobile Unit’s free tour (October 4-26) will bring the production to audiences who have limited or no access to the arts by visiting correctional facilities, homeless shelters, social service organizations, and other community venues. See below for a full tour schedule.
In Koons' A Midsummer Night's Dream, a New York City block party becomes the enchanted setting where fairies work their mischief in Shakespeare’s well-known play. There, four young New Yorkers discover the course of true love runs anything but smooth.
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“Welcoming Jenny Koons into the Mobile Unit family feels natural and inevitable — the Mobile has long been a home for artists working at the intersection of art and social justice and Jenny is no exception,” said Director of Special Artistic Projects Stephanie Ybarra. “She has assembled a magnificent team and they’ve already demonstrated a deep commitment to creating a joy-filled communal experience tailor-made for New Yorkers.”
Lilly Award winner Koons' directing credits include Burn All Night at American Repertory Theater; Airness at Humana and the Actors Theatre of Louisville; and Theatre for One: In This Moment at Pershing Square Signature Center, among others.
A Midsummer Night's Dream will feature scenic design by Kimie Nishikawa, costume design by Hahnji Jang, and original compositions by Sean Hagerty.
Mobile Unit tour dates will include the following venues:
October 4: The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center, Manhattan
October 5: Pelham Fritz Recreation Center, Manhattan,
October 6: North Brooklyn YMCA, Brooklyn
October 8: Lenox Hill Neighborhood House/Women’s Mental Health Shelter, Manhattan,
October 9: HELP Bronx Morris Avenue, Bronx
October 10: Brownsville Recreation Center, Brooklyn,
October 11: Queens Public Library, Central Branch
October 12: Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, Bronx
October 13: Island Voice/Canvas Institute, Staten Island
October 16: Queensboro Correctional Facility, Queens
October 17: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Manhattan
October 18: DreamYard Arts Project, Bronx,
October 19: Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn
October 20: Faber Park Recreation Center, Staten Island
October 22: Edgecombe Correctional Facility, Manhattan,
October 23: Taconic Correctional Facility, Westchester
October 25: St. Paul’s Chapel, Manhattan
October 26: Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, Westchester
