John Pankow, David Pittu & More Set for Equivocation at MTC

Stage and TV vet John Pankow and Tony Award nominee David Pittu are among the full cast set for Manhattan Theatre Club’s off-Broadway premiere of Bill Cain’s Equivocation. Directed by Tony Award winner Garry Hynes (The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Translations), the production will begin previews on February 9 and open on March 2 at New York City Center Stage I.

In addition to Pankow (TV’s Mad About You; Twelve Angry Men, Why Torture Is Wrong, Cymbeline, The Tempest, Measure for Measure) and Pittu (Tony nominee for Love/Musik and Is He Dead?; author/star of What’s That Smell), the cast will feature Remy Auberjonois (White Christmas, The Country Girl, Frost/Nixon), Michael Countryman (Mary Stuart, Shipwrecked, A Few Good Men), David Furr (Accent on Youth, Cymbeline) and Charlotte Parry (Coram Boy, The Real Thing, Bridge Project's The Cherry Orchard and The Winter’s Tale).

Set in England in 1605, Equivocation begins when King James’ right-hand man (Pittu) commissions William Shakespeare (Pankow) to write a new play about the Gunpowder Plot, a recent failed attempt to blow up Parliament and the monarchy. The play received its world premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in June 2009 in a production directed by Bill Rauch and featuring Anthony Heald as Shakespeare. David Esbjornson directed Equivocation at L.A.’s Geffen Playhouse in November with a cast that included Harry Groener and Joe Spano as Shakespeare.

MTC’s production will feature scenic and costume design by Francis O’Connor, lighting design by David Weiner, sound design David Van Tieghem and Brandon Wolcott and fight direction by David Brimmer.