Kevin Kline Replaces Christopher Walken in Mother Courage in Central Park

Kevin Kline will appear in Central Park opposite Meryl Streep in Mother Courage and Her Children instead of the previously announced Christopher Walken. Walken withdrew from the Public Theater production because of "scheduling conflicts," according to a production spokesperson.

Like Walken, Kline appeared with Streep in the starry New York Shakespeare Festival production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull in Central Park in the summer of 2001. He made his acting debut at his alma mater, Indiana University, during the 1960s. He was a founding member of The Acting Company and performed with the company in a Broadway production of Scapin in 1973. His other Broadway credits include On the Twentieth Century for which he won a Tony Award, The Pirates of Penzance for which he won his second Tony Award, Arms in the Man, Ivanov and Henry IV. Kline won an Oscar for his performance in A Fish Called Wanda. Other film credits include Sophie's Choice with Streep, The Big Chill, Silverado, I Love You to Death, Soapdish, Grand Canyon, Dave, French Kiss, Fierce Creatures, In & Out, Wild Wild West, The Anniversary Party, The Emperor's Club, The Pink Panther and De-Lovely. He can currently be seen on the big screen with Streep in A Prairie Home Companion. Kline is also attached to star in a production of King Lear at the Public in the fall.

In addition to Kline and Streep, the cast of Mother Courage and her Children will include Raul Aranas, Geoffrey Arend, Max Baker last season's Abigail's Party, Ato Essandoh, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Glenn Fleshler who recently portrayed George Tenet in the Public's Stuff Happens, Michael Izquierdo, Eugene Jones, George Kmeck, Jenifer Lewis best known for recurring roles on A Different World, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Girlfriends, Paco Lozano, Michael Markham, Larry Marshall a 1977 Tony nominee for Porgy and Bess, Jack Noseworthy making his first stage appearance since leaving Lestat in San Francisco, veteran actor/director/writer Austin Pendleton, Sean Phillips, Silvestre Rasuk, Brittany Underwood, Alexandria Wailes, Frederick Weller who appeared at the Public in Take Me Out, Jade Wu and Waleed Zuaiter who also recently was featured in Stuff Happens.

Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children focuses on a woman Streep who must survive during the nightmare of the Thirty Years War. She depends on the war for her financial success, but it is the same war that is taking her children away.

Directed by George C. Wolfe from a translation by Tony Kushner and featuring original music by Jeanine Tesori, Mother Courage and Her Children is scheduled to run at the Delacorte in Central Park from August 8 through September 3.