The stage and screen actors are set to play Queen Elizabeth and the title role in the Oct. 10 benefit event. Also featured in the cast, helmed by co-artistic director Jonathan Croy, is Tina Packer in the role of Queen Margaret, Annette Miller as the Duchess of Gloucester and other special guests.
Taking place at the Tina Packer Playhouse at 2 PM, proceeds from the reading will benefit the company's performance, training and education programs.
"We are delighted to welcome Hamish back to our stage – and to welcome Lily for the first time for this special production," said Croy in a press statement. Linklater is the son of Company founding member Kristin Linklater and made his first theatrical appearance on stage at Shakespeare & Company.
Located in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, Shakespeare & Company is one of the largest Shakespeare festivals in the country and attracts more than 60,000 patrons annually.
Rabe was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance opposite Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice while Linklater was last seen on a Broadway stage in Seminar, which also starred his real-life love Rabe. The two also performed together in last year's Shakespeare in the Park staging of Much Ado About Nothing.
To purchase tickets to Richard II, phone (413) 637-3353 or visit Shakespeare.org.
