Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Lily Rabe, Hamish Linklater & More Set for Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park

The Public Theater has enlisted some Shakespeare in the Park faves to head back into the woods this summer. Emmy nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson will play Trinculo, joining the previously announced Sam Waterston, in The Tempest starting May 27 at the Delacorte Theater. Additionally, real-life couple Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater will headline Cymbeline as Imogen and Posthumus Leonatus/Cloten, respectively. Performances start at the fresh-air venue on July 23.

Ferguson received his fifth Emmy nomination for his performance as Mitchell Pritchett on Modern Family in 2014. He returns to the Public after appearing in The Comedy of Errors, The Merchant of Venice, The Winter’s Tale and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His Broadway credits include The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and On the Town. Rabe and Linklater appeared together last summer in Much Ado About Nothing and in 2010’s The Merchant of Venice. Rabe’s additional credits include As You Like It, Seminar, The American Plan, Heartbreak House and Steel Magnolias. Linklater’s previous Shakespeare in the Park credits include The Comedy of Errors and The Winter’s Tale. He made his Broadway debut in Seminar.

In addition to Waterston and Ferguson, the cast of The Tempest will include Chris Perfetti as Ariel, Louis Cancelmi as Caliban, Francesca Carpanini as Miranda, Rodney Richardson as Ferdinand, Cotter Smith as Antonio, Danny Mastrogiorgio as Stephano, Charles Parnell as Alonso, Bernard White as Gonzalo, Whitney Bashor as Juno, Olga Karmansky as Iris, Tamika Lawrence as Ceres and Nicholas Christopher as Boatswain/Spirit. The non-equity ensemble will feature Jordan Barrow, Chloe Fox, Thomas Gibbons, Sunny Hitt, Brandon Kalm, Rico Lebron, Suki Lopez and Matthew Oaks.

The Tempest, directed by Michael Grief, will open officially on June 16 and run through July 5. The production will feature original music by Michael Friedman, choreography by Denis Jones, set design by Riccardo Hernandez, costumes by Emily Rebholz, lighting design by David Lander and sound design by Acme Sound Partners.

Additional casting for Cymbeline will be announced at a later date. The Daniel Sullivan-helmed production will open on August 10 and run through August 23. The show will feature original music by Tom Kitt, choreography by Mimi Lieber, set design by Hernandez, costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Lander and sound design by Acme Sound Partners.