Hoffman and Ortiz in Othello, New Play by Suzan-Lori Parks & More on Tap at Public in 2009-2010

The Public Theater’s 2009-2010 season will include a production of Othello starring John Ortiz and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Willem Dafoe starring in Richard Foreman’s Idiot Savant, and new works by Suzan-Lori Parks, Tarell Alvin McCraney and Mike Daisey. Details of the lineup are as follows:

Othello, by William Shakespeare, directed by Peter Sellars
September 12-October 4 at NYU Skirball Center
Sellars plans a contemporary production of Shakespeare’s drama of deception, ambiguity and overpowering love starring John Ortiz in the title role and Oscar winner Philip Seymour Hoffman as Iago. Othello is jointly presented by the Public and LAByrinth Theater Company.

Idiot Savant, written and directed by Richard Foreman
October 27-December 13
Willem Dafoe stars in what’s billed as a philosophical comedy in the tradition of Ionesco and Preston Sturges. Marie asks the Idiot Savant, “But what makes certain words magic?” What follows is a wild theatrical odyssey and exploration of the boundaries of the legitimate. Idiot Savant is presented in association with Foreman’s Ontological-Hysteric Theater.

, Part 1 & Part 2, by Tarell Alvin McCraney
October 21-December 13
This trio of modern-day stories of kinship, love, heartache and coming-of-age centers around an extended family and community in the Bayou. The trilogy is divided into two parts that can be seen in any order or together in weekend marathon performances. Part 1, In the Red and Brown Water, will be directed by Tina Landau. Part 2, a combination of McCraney’s earlier work The Brothers Size and a new piece, Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, will be directed by Robert O’Hara.

The Brother/Sister Plays

The Last Cargo Cult, written by and starring Mike Daisey
December 2009
Monologist Daisey If You See Something Say Something returns to the Public with the true story of his time on a remote South Pacific island whose inhabitants worship America at the base of a constantly erupting volcano. Their religion is explored alongside our own to examine the international financial crisis. This New York premiere will be directed by Jean-Michele Gregory.

Snake, by Suzan-Lori Parks
March 2-April 4, 2010
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Parks Topdog/Underdog offers a family portrait shattered by issues of rage, revenge, power and betrayal. When a young man returns home to South Texas to confront his father, everyday life erupts into a battle for personal survival. This world-premiere production will be directed by James Macdonald.