Blow, Winds! Shakespeare in the Park’s King Lear, Starring John Lithgow & Annette Bening, Begins Performances

The Public Theater’s 2014 Shakespeare in the Park season continues with a starry production of King Lear, beginning previews on July 22. Tony winner and Oscar nominee John Lithgow stars as the titular father figure alongside Tony and Oscar nominee Annette Bening, Tony nominee Jessica Hecht and Jessica Collins as Lear’s three daughters. The production, directed by Daniel Sullivan, will open officially on August 5.

In addition to Lithgow as Lear, Bening as Goneril, Hecht as Regan and Collins as Cordelia, the cast includes Jeremy Bobb as Oswald, Steven Boyer as Fool, Glenn Fleshler as Cornwall, Slate Holmgren as the King of France, Christopher Innvar as Albany, Chukwudi Iwuji as Edgar, Clarke Peters as Gloucester, Dale Place as Old Man and Curan, Jay O. Sanders as Kent and Eric Sheffer Stevens as Edmund. The non-equity ensemble features Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Andrew Burnap, Christopher Ghaffari, Ryan-James Hatanaka, Matt Helm, Dave Klasko and Phillip Shinn.

The Central Park production will run through August 17.