Additional casting has been announced for one-night-only reading of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet at The Public Theater’s Delacorte Theatre in Central Park on Monday, June 18. The reading will be directed by Daniel Sullivan and will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte. In addition to Oscar and Tony Award winners Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep in the title roles, the reading will feature F. Murray Abraham (Friar Laurence), Christine Baranski (Nurse), John Cullum (Capulet), Raúl Esparza (Sampson, Apothecary, Watchman 1), David Harbour (Abraham, Capulet Servant, Paris’ Page), Bill Irwin (Montague), Jesse L. Martin (Gregory, Friar John, Watchman 2), Sandra Oh (Lady Montague), Phylicia Rashad (Lady Capulet), Jerry Stiller (Peter), Michael Stuhlbarg (Paris), Christopher Walken (Mercutio), Sharon Washington (Stage Directions), Sam Waterston (Benvolio), and Jeffrey Wright (Tybalt), along with an on-stage band playing the music of Jeanine Tesori. The evening will also include dinner al fresco and a party immediately following the performance. Click here for more information and tickets to The Public Theaters gala celebration.

Yesterday, Meryl has been in California to attend the AFI Life Achievement Award honoring Shirley MacLaine. Streep presented the award to MacLaine, saying the actress cut a path for other women in Hollywood by doing much of her best work in middle age, when good female roles typically dry up. “Some performers are just indelible. We fall early and we fall hard for them, and we follow them for the rest of our lives,” Streep said. “That’s our Shirl. That’s you, babe.” Accepting the award from Streep, also a past winner of the AFI prize, MacLaine paid respect to the Jacks in her life, including Nicholson, Black and “The Apartment” co-star Jack Lemmon. MacLaine thanked the women who shared her dinner table for the evening, among them Streep and “Steel Magnolias” co-star Field, saying they had been her “other half of the sky, my sustaining belief that women who speak the truth will make the world a better place.” Videos from the event will be published when the ceremony has aired on television, June 24. For now, hundreds of pictures from the ceremony have been added to the image library.

On June 12, 2012, Meryl Streep will be honoring Viola Davis with the Crystal Award for Excellence in Film at the Women in Film Crystal & Lucy Awards in Los Angeles. The Crystal Awards “honor outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry.” To learn more about Women in Film, please visit their official website. In 1998, Meryl Streep has been an honoree herself.

Mr. De Niro and Ms. Streep, who appeared together in the 1984 movie “Falling in Love,” kidded each other in their remarks, primarily about acting honors. “I’m proud I have the same number of these as Meryl,” Mr. De Niro said in accepting his award, adding, with a deft pause, “For now.” “By this time next year, she’ll have seven,” he added. “Last October, she beat me out for Italian-American Man of the Year.” At least, Mr. De Niro said, “I got mine first.” Ms. Streep, who received her award after Mr. De Niro, gave as good as she got. “I can’t believe you gave this to Bob De Niro before me,” she said, then paused to note that “Supporting Actor always precedes” the Academy Award for Best Actress.

This spring, the Kent Memorial Library will host a series entitled “Great Performances.” About this series, Kenneth Cooper, president of the Kent Library Association, said, “Given the mood of the country, the Library is looking to the arts for a series to lift our spirits, inspire us and cause us to remember what great things we can achieve. We are asking these important artists to relate those experiences that inspired them to great heights.” Along with Meryl Streep, this year’s Kent Lecture Series at the Library will also include well-known opera singer Marilyn Horne on May 13. “Great Performances” will be presented in an interview format. Author Frank Delaney will interview Meryl Streep and publisher Stephen Rubin will interview Marilyn Horne. The Kent Memorial Library’s mission is to enrich the lives of individuals and the community by providing materials, programs, and services to encourage reading, learning and imagination. The Kent Memorial Library is located at 32 North Main Street, Kent, Connecticut. Visit kentmemoriallibrary.org for more information. Thanks to Glenn for the heads-up.

Meryl Streep, Edward Sorel and MC Lars will share the spotlight at Carnegie Hall with the nation’s future in creativity – the talented and ambitious teens who have achieved national honors in the 89th annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. More than 800 teens and their families and teachers, representing 46 states, are expected to attend the celebration, including 15 graduating seniors who will receive Portfolio Gold Medals and $10,000 scholarships. Presented by the nonprofit Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is the country’s longest-running, most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative teenagers. The celebration will kick-off on the night of May 31 when the Empire State Building will be lit in gold to honor student winners. At the June 1 ceremony at Carnegie Hall, Ms. Streep will congratulate the students and provide wisdom for them to take on their creative paths, Mr. Sorel will be presented with the 2012 Alumni Achievement Award, and MC Lars will perform. More on the event can be read here. Many thanks to Glenn for the heads-up!

AFI Life Achievement Award honoree Meryl Streep will present Shirley MacLaine with the American Film Institute’s 40th Life Achievement Award – America’s highest honor for a career in film. The private black tie gala will be held at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City on June 7 and will air on TV Land on Sunday, June 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. “The world loves Shirley MacLaine,” said Bob Gazzale, President and CEO of AFI. “AFI’s challenge will be how to fit it all into one evening because hers is a life that spans from movies to television to Broadway, books and beyond. Perhaps more than any other recipient, with Shirley I would underline the word life in Life Achievement Award,” he said. “Hers is a story more than just movies. It’s an epic journey, and she has invited all of us to come along for the ride.” “It is sure to be a magical evening celebrating Shirley’s career, especially with Meryl Streep and many other stars who will be on hand,” remarked Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land. “Shirley’s storied film and television career is so rich and colorful, it will be an unforgettable tribute.” Thanks to Glenn and Frederique for the heads-up.

These days, lots of panels and parties are held to raise interest in the Broadway shows nominated for a Tony. Among them is Mike Nichols’ “Death of a Salesman”, produced by Scott Rudin and starring Philip Seymour Hofman. A discussion panel on the play, which has held yesterday, was hosted by Meryl Streep. Here’s more informtion courtesy the New York Post: The press wasn’t admitted. The Broadway League has some silly bugaboo about press coverage of the roadies. I suppose the League fears we might find out just how shaky the road is these days, what with so many mediocre shows flying around out there. Ted Chapin, chairman of the American Theatre Wing, was announced as the moderator. But – surprise, surprise! – Meryl Streep came onstage to a five-minute standing ovation. (Rudin’s produced several of her movies, including “Doubt” and “The Hours.”) Streep moderated the panel and asked some pointed and insightful questions. She wondered, for instance, if any of the actors ever “steal” from other actors, adding: “I do all the time, but only from men!” Of Nichols she said: “There have been many times, Mike, in our working relationship when I wished I were Diane Sawyer. But never more so than now.” Hoffman admitted that playing a role such as Willy Loman takes over your life. “You wake up, you’re Willy Loman,” he said. “You go to lunch, you’re Willy Loman. You go to dinner, you’re Willy Loman. You’re Willy Loman all the time.” To prevent the play from taking over their lives completely, Garfield told the crowd, the cast goes out every night after the show to “reconnect.” Nichols said he swings by the theater at least once a week to see the play. “Very often you have to do what I call ‘killing babies,’” he said. “You have to take an actor aside and say, ‘You know that part where you come in and say, “Hello,” and then pirouette around the stage? I think you should go back to just saying “Hello.”’ I don’t have to do that with this cast.” I’m told every single road voter attended the “Salesman” event, which should sew it up nicely for the show on Tony night. Many thanks to Glenn and Holly for the heads-up.

Yesterday, Meryl has attended the opening night of “An Early History of Fire”, the world-premiere of David Rabe’s new play. Pictures have been added to the image library with many thanks to Joan for the heads-up!

According to Playbill, Academy Award winners Kevin Kline and Meryl Steep – both veterans of New York Shakespeare Festival – will play the famous balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet as the Shakespeare classic’s title characters in a gala benefit staged reading June 18 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Daniel Sullivan will direct the performance that celebrates to the day The Public Theater’s 50-year anniversary of producing Shakespeare in the outdoor venue. Additional casting for the staged reading of the “tale of woe” about star-crossed lovers will be announced. This is the Public’s annual fundraising gala. The Public Theater has produced Romeo and Juliet twice before at the Delacorte (1968 and 2007). Streep, who has performed five times at the Delacorte since 1976, and Kline, who has performed nine times since 1970, will play the iconic teen-age roles for the first time in their careers, according to The Public. They last shared the Delacorte stage in a 2006 production of Mother Courage and Her Children.