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The Public Theater celebrated the opening night of the world premiere play Public Charge on Wednesday evening, welcoming a range of political leaders and theater artists to mark the occasion. See photos of the event.
The play is co-written by former U.S. Ambassador Julissa Reynoso and Michael J. Chepiga and draws from Reynoso’s experiences working for Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Clinton attended the opening and offered remarks in support of the production. “When I read the first draft of my friend Julissa Reynoso’s play Public Charge, I knew it deserved a wide audience. It’s a uniquely American story about how our country is made by and better for immigrants, and why all of it is very much worth fighting for.”
Also in attendance was Jill Biden, who previously worked with Reynoso when she served as her Chief of Staff. Additional guests included Deborah Ann Woll, Ana Navarro, Tim Blake Nelson, Steven Pasquale, Phillipa Soo, Quiara Alegría Hudes, Heather Lind, Jerry Zaks, Joe Tapper, and Board Chair Luis A. Miranda Jr., among others.
Public Charge traces Reynoso’s journey from immigrating to the United States from the Dominican Republic as a child to her work as a diplomat in the early twenty-first century. The play follows her transition from a Wall Street law career to supervising Caribbean and Central American Affairs, addressing international crises including humanitarian aid efforts in Haiti, immigration policy challenges, espionage concerns, and negotiations to free a detained American in Cuba.
The production is directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes.
The cast of Public Charge includes Marinda Anderson as Cheryl Mills, Nate Betancourt, Maggie Bofill, John J. Concado, Dan Domingues, Zabryna Guevara as Julissa Reynoso, Yesenia Iglesias, Paco Lozano, Deirdre Madigan, Nairoby Otero, Armando Riesco, and Al Rodrigo.
