Pacino, who earned acclaim for Michael Radford's 2004 screen adaptation of Merchant, will return to the stage in a new production of the Shakespeare classic, which will feature direction by Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan.

As previously announced, Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale will run in repertory at the Delacorte Theater June 9-Aug. 1, 2010. Tony nominee Michael Greif will stage the latter production.

In addition to Pacino, the acting company for the 2010 Shakespeare in the Park season will feature Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Solanio/Young Shepherd), Jesse L. Martin (Gratiano/Polixenes), Lily Rabe (Portia/First Gentlewoman), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Prince of Morocco/Leontes) and Max Wright (Old Gobbo/Old Shepherd). Additional casting will be announced shortly.

Pacino last appeared on Broadway in Oscar Wilde's Salome: The Reading. He earned a Tony Award for his Broadway debut in Does a Tiger Wear Necktie? and was also with a Tony Award for The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel. Pacino starred in the 1996 production of Hughie, which he also directed. In addition to his stage roles in Camino Real, King Richard III, American Buffalo and Chinese Coffee, he is well known for the films "Scent of a Woman" (Academy Award), "The Godfather," "Scarface," "Dog Day Afternoon," "Frankie and Johnny," "Glengarry Glen Ross," "Ocean's Thirteen" and "Angels in America."

"This is a major step for The Public," said artistic director Oskar Eustis in a previous statement. "Continuity of work is the key to great theatre of all kinds; this is especially true for Shakespeare. The particular delights of repertory for an audience are meaningful; the depth of artistic work it allows for actors is inimitable."

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