Photo Flash: First Look at THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAN at The Public Theater

The Public Theater began previews for the world premiere production of The Twenty-Seventh Man, by Nathan Englander, on Thursday, November 8. Directed by Barry Edelstein, The Twenty-Seventh Man runs through Sunday, December 9 in The Public's Martinson Theater at its Astor Place home, with an official press opening on Sunday, November 18. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

The complete cast of The Twenty-Seventh Man features Happy Anderson (Guard), Byron Jennings (The Agent in Charge), Daniel Oreskes (Moishe Bretzky), Ron Rifkin (Yevgeny Zunser), Noah Robbins (Pinchas Pelovits), and Chip Zien (Vasily Korinsky).

Best-selling author Nathan Englander (What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank) adapts this warm and deeply moving new play from his acclaimed short story of the same name. In a Soviet prison in 1952, Stalin's secret police have rounded up twenty-six writers, the giants of Yiddish literature in Russia. As judgment looms, a twenty-seventh suddenly appears: Pinchas Pelovits, unpublished and unknown. Baffled by his arrest, he and his cellmates wrestle with the mysteries of party loyalty and politics, culture and identity, and what it means to write in troubled times. When they discover why The Twenty-Seventh Man is among them, the writers come to realize that even in the face of tyranny, stories still have the power to transcend.

THE TWENTY-SEVENTH MAN features scenic design by Michael McGarty, costume design by Katherine Roth, lighting design by Russell H. Champa, and sound design by Darron L West.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Tickets for The Twenty-Seventh Man are on sale now at (212) 967-7555, www.publictheater.org, or in person at The Public Theater box office.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus