Molière in the Park, Brooklyn’s home for free, world-class theater, is inviting the public to attend the next installment of its winter reading series featuring Don Juan. The upcoming presentation takes place Friday, Jan. 9 at 7:00pm at the Brooklyn Public Library’s Central Library at 10 Grand Army Plaza. Admission is free and open to the public.
The reading features a translation and adaptation by Stephen Wadsworth and is directed by Molière in the Park’s Founding Artistic Director, Lucie Tiberghien. The production brings together a strong ensemble of acclaimed stage and screen performers, led by Keshav Moodliar in the title role. Moodliar’s past credits include productions at Studio Seaview, The Old Globe, A.R.T. Boston and previous Molière in the Park performances.
The cast also includes Kalyne Coleman, known for her work on Broadway and in television; Kaliswa Brewster, whose credits span stage and screen; and Daniel Pearce, a veteran of Broadway and major New York theater institutions. Live musical underscoring is provided by cellist and composer Johnathan Moore, whose unconventional approach adds a contemporary texture to the reading.
The public reading offer audiences the chance to engage with one of Molière’s most provocative and enduring works. Don Juan centers on a charismatic libertine whose pursuit of pleasure exposes social hypocrisy and moral contradictions. Nearly four centuries after its premiere and swift censorship, the play’s exploration of desire, power and defiance continues to resonate with modern audiences.
Wadsworth’s reconstruction of Molière’s original text seeks to restore the play’s boldness and intensity, reconnecting contemporary viewers with the daring spirit that made Don Juan so controversial in its own time. The result is a reading that highlights the work’s urgency and relevance while remaining grounded in its classical roots.
The winter reading series is produced in partnership with Prospect Park Alliance and Brooklyn Public Library, reflecting Molière in the Park’s commitment to presenting theater in shared civic spaces. By staging performances in public venues, the company aims to create moments of connection and dialogue across Brooklyn’s diverse communities.
