Wherefore Art Thou Romeo? The CSC's Hunt Goes On

The Classic Stage Company is short one Romeo for its coming fall production of Shakespeare’s tragedy -- “All My Children” vet Finn Wittrock has just withdrawn because of a film offer -- but boy, is the rest of that cast shaping up awesomely.

Producers said yesterday that William Hurt, T.R. Knight and Daphne Rubin-Vega had signed on for the CSC’s “Romeo and Juliet,” which begins performances on Sept. 27 ahead of an Oct. 16 opening.

This production is not to be confused with that other “Romeo and Juliet,” the one opening on Broadway Sept. 19 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre with leads Orlando Bloom and two-time Tony nominee Condola Rashad, late of “The Trip to Bountiful.” Yup, it’s going to be a tragic autumn on stage in New York.

The CSC’s Juliet is indie darling Elizabeth Olsen, whose film credits include “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and “Kill Your Darlings.” She was an understudy in Broadway’s 2009 “Impressionism.”

Oscar winner Hurt has signed on as Friar Laurence; Knight, the “Grey’s Anatomy” vet, is cast as Mercutio. Two-time Tony nominee Rubin-Vega is the Nurse. If you’re keeping track of the star-crossed casts, the Broadway players in those roles are Brent Carver, Christian Camargo and Jayne Houdyshell.

Follow Robert Kahn on Twitter@Robert Kahn

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