NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — Iconic actor Bill Murray is taking to Times Square’s Red Steps on Wednesday to perform in a free, adapted version of Henrik Ibsen’s “An Enemy of the People” as part of a high-profile cast promoting a public conversation about the climate crisis.
While the free in-person show at Seventh Avenue and 47th Street is sold out, interested parties are still able to register to watch the free Zoom livestream. The performance will be held from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The 73-year-old will be joined by Kathryn Erbe of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” Taylor Schilling of “Orange is the New Black,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and other political and performance leaders.
Williams told 1010 WINS that doing the show gave him the opportunity to use the stage to “really combine civics, politics and my love of acting.”
The production, which is being put on by Theater of War Productions, Extinction Rebellion and The Sixth Festival, is using Ibsen’s 1882 play about a whistleblowing doctor who discovers that the water supply in his rural town is tainted by a tannery as a catalyst for a conversation about climate change and the struggles of communicating its severity before it’s too late.
After the play text is read, community panelists will begin a conversation about what resonates with them before Bryan Doerries—who adapted, directed and facilitated Wednesday’s performance—facilitates an open discussion with the audience.
“There’s a wide range of conservations that we’re able to have, from gun violence, to mental health, to police brutality and climate change. It’s pretty awesome to see, and pretty awesome to be a part of,” Williams, who told 1010 WINS he has appeared in about 100 Theater of War productions over the last decade, said.
Nate Smith of Extinction Rebellion, who the New York Times reported interrupted a preview of Michael Imperioli and Jeremy Strong’s preview of their Broadway adaption of “An Enemy of the People” in March, will be part of the show. The Broadway adaption is in its final weeks.