Al Pacino Starring in <em>Merchant of Venice</em> in Central Park

Al Pacino will be reprising the role of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in Central Park next summer, as part of The Public Theater's annual free Shakespeare series. (Pacino previously played Shylock in the 2004 film of The Merchant of Venice.) Daniel Sullivan (The Homecoming) will direct, while Michael Greif will helm next summer's other Shakespeare production, The Winter's Tale. According to a publicist for The Public, the two plays will be performed in repertory with the same core company of actors, though "due to a scheduling conflict with rehearsals, Pacino will only appear in The Merchant of Venice." Other cast members announced thus far include Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Solanio/Young Shepherd); Jesse L. Martin (Gratiano/Polixenes); Lily Rabe (Portia/First Gentlewoman); Ruben Santiago-Hudson as (Prince of Morocco/Leontes); and Max Wright (Old Gobbo/Old Shepherd).