Cast Change Causes the Public Theater's Controversy to Delay a Week

The Public Theater production of The Controversy of Valladolid will begin performances a week later than previously scheduled, now starting on February 15 at the Public's Newman Theater. The extra week gives the company more time to work with Gerry Bamman, who recently joined the cast in place of Jon DeVries.

Jean-Claude Carrière's The Controversy of Valladolid takes place in a 15th-century Spanish monastery where the fate of millions of American natives from an ocean away hangs precariously in the balance. Will the Catholic Church decide these people are human beings with invaluable rights? Or will it treat them like slaves?

DeVries left the production for personal reasons. Bamman won an Obie Award for his performance in Nixon's Nixon. He has appeared on Broadway in The Cherry Orchard, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, Execution of Justice, Uncle Vanya and On a Clear Day You Can Forever.

The Controversy of Valladolid also stars Gbenga Akinnagbe, Herb Foster, William S. Huntley III, Jeremy Michael Kuszel, Ron Moreno, Monica Salazar, Steven Skybell, Josef Sommer and Graham Winton.

The production, directed by David Jones, is now scheduled to officially open on February 27.