A New York marathon comes to a conclusion with Henry VIII, which opened June 26 at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. This marathon is setting no speed records but it fulfils the dream of New York Shakespeare Festival founder Joseph Papp, who in 1987 set a goal for the theatre to present the complete canon of William Shakespeare's 37 plays.
Papp died Oct. 31, 1991 during rehearsals for Pericles, one of the productions in the series. His successors JoAnne Akalaitis and the current George C. Wolfe have picked up the banner and completed the series in his name. NYSF's Greenwich Village performing space, The Public Theatre, has since been renamed the New York Shakespeare Festival/The Joseph Papp Public Theatre in Papp's honor.
Papp is quoted in a release calling the marathon "an act of cultural affirmation," and saw it as a way to reach audiences both young and old with the Bard's work. He saw the marathon as a journey and said, "Is there a need for a Marathon? What a question!"
Current festival producer Wolfe said the marathon experience "was a growing journey I was proud to play a part in." Wolfe called the festival "a grand vision" and said that he "watched a sense of community evolve between audiences and artist."
NYSF has already planned its first post-marathan Shakespeare production: Macbeth, starring Alec Baldwin and directed by Wolfe, is scheduled to open at the Public Theatre in January 1998. No announcements have been made yet concerning Wolfe's plans for Shakespeare at the theatre beyond that. Henry VIII runs through July 9.
Performances are Tuesdays through Sundays at 8 PM. All tickets are free. Tickets can be picked up at The Delacorte Theatre Box Office in Central Park daily for that evening performance starting at 1 PM; or at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street in Greenwich Village, from 1 to 3 PM. (two tickets per person). Tickets will also be distributed from locations in all five boroughs on selected dates. For information call (212) 539-8655.
Here is a complete list of THE SHAKESPEARE MARATHON's productions:
1. A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - Dir: AJ Antoon
Featuring: F. Murray Abraham, Carl Lumbly, Elizabeth McGovern
Press opening: January 17, 1988 in the Anspacher Theater
2. JULIUS CAESAR - Dir: Stuart Vaughan
Featuring: Edward Herrmann, John McMartin, Al Pacino, Martin Sheen
Press opening: March 22, 1988 in the Newman Theater
3. ROMEO & JULIET - Dir: Les Waters
Featuring: Peter MacNicol, Anne Meara, Cynthia Nixon, Milo O'Shea, Courtney B. Vance
Press opening: May 24, 1988 in the Anspacher Theater
4. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING - Dir: Gerald Freeman
Featuring: Andre Braugher, Dan Butler, Phoebe Cates, Blythe Danner, Kevin Kline, David Hyde Pierce, Jerry Stiller
Press opening: July 14, 1988 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park
5. KING JOHN - Dir: Stuart Vaughan
Featuring: Kevin Conway, Mariette Hartley, Jane White
Press opening: August 18, 1988 at the Delacorte Theater
6. CORIOLANUS - Dir: Steven Berkoff
Featuring: Keith David, Roger Guenveur Smith, Christopher Walken, Irene Worth
Press opening: November 22, 1989 in the Anspacher Theater
7. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST - Dir: Gerald Freeman
Featuring: William Converse-Roberts, Roma Downey
Press opening: February 22, 1989 in the Newman Theater
8. A WINTER'S TALE - Dir: James Lapine
Featuring: Mandy Patinkin, Christopher Reeve, Diane Venora, Alfre Woodard
Press opening: March 21, 1989 in the Anspacher Theater
9. CYMBELINE - Dir: JoAnne Akalaitis
Featuring: Jesse Borrego, Joan Cusack
Press opening: May 31, 1989 in the Newman Theater
0. TWELFTH NIGHT, OR WHAT YOU WILL - Dir: Harold Guskin
Featuring: John Amos, Andre Braugher, Stephen Collins, Jeff Goldblum, Gregory Hines, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michelle Pfeiffer, Fisher Stevens, Charlaine Woodard
Press opening: July 6, 1989 at the Delacorte Theater
. TITUS ANDRONICUS - Dir: Michael Maggio
Featuring: Keith David, Donald Moffat, Kate Mulgrew
Press opening: August 20, 1989 at the Delacorte Theater
2. MACBETH - Dir: Richard Jordan
Featuring: Raul Julia, Mary Louise Wilson
Press opening: January 16, 1990 in the Anspacher Theater
3. HAMLET - Dir Kevin Kline
Featuring: Dana Ivey, Kevin Kline, Diane Venora
Press opening: May 8, 1990 in the Anspacher Theater
14. THE TAMING OF THE SHREW - Dir: AJ Antoon
Featuring: Morgan Freeman, Helen Hunt, Tracy Ullman
Press opening: July 1, 1990 at the Delacorte Theater
5. RICHARD III - Dir: Robin Phillips
Featuring: Mary Alice, Denzel Washington
Press opening: August 16, 1990 at the Delacorte Theater
16. HENRY IV - Part I - Dir: JoAnne Akalaitis
17. HENRY IV - Part II
Featuring: Larry Bryggman, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Jared Harris
Press opening: February 27, 1991 in the Newman Theater
18. OTHELLO - Dir: Joe Dowling
Featuring: Mary Beth Hurt, Raul Julia, Christopher Walken
Press opening: June 27, 1991 at the Delacorte Theater
19. PERICLES - Dir: Michael Greif
Featuring: Martha Plimpton, Campbell Scott
Press opening: November 24, 1991 in the Newman Theater
0. AS YOU LIKE IT - Dir: Adrian Hall
Featuring: Rob Campbell, Elizabeth McGovern
Press opening: July 9, 1992 at the Delacorte Theater
1. THE COMEDY OF ERRORS - Dir: Caca Rosset
Featuring: Boyd Gaines, Marisa Tomei
Press opening: August 16, 1992 at the Delacorte Theater
. MEASURE FOR MEASURE - Dir: Michael Rudman
Featuring: Andre Braugher, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Kevin Kline, Blair Underwood
Press opening: July 18, 1993 at the Delacorte Theater
3. ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL - Dir: Richard Jones
Featuring: Michael Cumpsty, Miriam Healy-Louie, Rocco Sisto
Press opening: August 15, 1993 at the Delacorte Theater
4. RICHARD II - Dir: Steven Berkoff
Featuring: Andre Braugher, Earle Hyman, Carole Shelly, Michael Stuhlbarg
Press opening: March 31, 1994 in the Anspacher Theater
25. THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR - Dir: Daniel Sullivan
Featuring: David Alan Grier, Andrea Martin, Brian Murray, Tonya Pinkins
Press opening: July 7, 1994 at the Delacorte Theater
26. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA - Dir: Adrian Hall
Featuring: Malcom Gets, Camryn Manheim
Press opening: August 18, 1994 at the Delacorte Theater
7. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE - Dir: Barry Edelstein
Featuring: Byron Jennings, Ron Leibman, Laila Robbins
Press opening: February 5, 1995 in the Anspacher Theater
28. THE TEMPEST - Dir: George C Wolfe
Featuring: Aunjanue Ellis, Bill Irwin, Kamar de los Reyes, John Pankow, Liev Schreiber, Patrick Stewart
Press opening: July 11, 1995 at the Delacorte Theater
*Re-opened on Broadway on November 1, 1995 at the Broadhurst Theatre (With: Mario Cantone, Ross Lehman)
29. TROILUS & CRESSIDA - Dir: Mark Wing-Davey
Featuring: Paul Calderon, Neal Huff, Elizabeth Marvel, Stephen Spinella, Tamara Tunie
Press opening: August 17, 1995 at the Delacorte Theater
0. KING LEAR - Dir: Adrian Hall
Featuring: F. Murray Abraham, Rob Campbell, Jared Harris, Jeffrey Wright
Press opening: January 25, 1996 in the Anspacher Theater
1. HENRY V - Dir: Douglas Hughes
Featuring: Andre Braugher, Kathleen Chalfant, Elizabeth Marvel
Press opening: June 30, 1996 at the Delacorte Theater
2. TIMON OF ATHENS - Dir: Brian Kulick
Featuring: Michael Cumpsty, Geoffrey Owens
Press opening: August 18, 1996 at the Delacorte Theater
-35. HENRY VI, PARTS I, II , III - Dir: Karin Coonrod
(PART 1: THE EDGED SWORD/PART 2: BLACK STORM)
Featuring: Jan Leslie Harding, Tom Nelis, Angie Phillips, Steven Skybell
Press opening December 18, 1996 in Martinson Hall
6. ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA - Dir: Vanessa Redgrave
Featuring: David Harewood, Carrie Preston, Vanessa Redgrave
Press opening: February 18, 1997 in the Anspacher Theater
37. HENRY VIII - Dir: Mary Zimmerman
Featuring: Jayne Atkinson, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Josef Sommer
Press opening: June 26, 1997 at the Delacorte Theatre
--By Laura MacDonald
