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The Public Theater will welcome more New Yorkers than ever this summer to SHAKESPEARE FOR THE CITY taking place in parks and plazas across New York City and at the revitalized Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Running from May 22 through September 8, the summer celebration will bring free world-class theater to more than 130,000 people across the city, with productions of ROMEO & JULIET, THE WINTER’S TALE, and AS YOU LIKE IT, with an original Public Works production to be announced. The Jerome L. Greene Foundation returns as Lead Sponsor of Free Shakespeare in the Park.
Through its popular ticket voucher distribution program for FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK, spanning all five boroughs and including twelve Citizens branches, The Public continues its commitment to expanding access and civic participation across New York with 50 distribution locations scheduled this summer.
The Public will celebrate the launch of SHAKESPEARE FOR THE CITY with a KICKOFF event, a free afternoon of family-friendly festivities at the revitalized Delacorte Theater on Saturday, May 30, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Nothing says “summer in the city” like the reopening of the Delacorte in Central Park because it is New Yorkers who realize the potential of this civic space, especially as they join in community around these shared cultural experiences. Visitors can enjoy concessions and a pop-up from Wonder, meet-and-greets with Romeo the Raccoon and giveaways. Partners activating on-site include Citizens, JetBlue, Venchi, Nordstrom, Montblanc, New York Road Runners, Starbright Floral Design, and TodayTix.
SUMMER FRIDAYS AT THE DELACORTE invites New Yorkers to experience their revitalized theater. On select Fridays (June 5 & 19; August 7, 14 & 21), The Public will host Delacorte Open Houses from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., featuring self-guided tours, onstage photo opportunities, family programming, and a pet-friendly atmosphere. Evenings continue with picnics from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, featuring music, giveaways, and special guests.
FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
ROMEO & JULIET
Directed by Saheem Ali
Begins May 22
The Public’s Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director Saheem Ali brings Shakespeare’s legendary star-crossed lovers to Central Park for the first time in nearly 20 years. Never was there a story of more woe, or more romance, than the Bard’s timeless tale of two young lovers from warring families. As the Montagues and Capulets are torn apart by ideology and simmering violence spills into the streets of the border town of Verona, Romeo and Juliet dare to defy a world determined to keep them apart. In this bold new staging, the play unfolds in English, but Romeo and Juliet speak to one another in Spanish, a language reserved only for their shared world. Don’t miss this thrilling new production, essential viewing for lovers of Shakespeare, theater, and the enduring power of love itself.
THE WINTER’S TALE
Directed by Daniel Sullivan
Begins July 25
Tony Award-winning director Daniel Sullivan returns to Free Shakespeare in the Park with a spellbinding new production of THE WINTER’S TALE. When the King of Sicilia becomes convinced his pregnant wife has been unfaithful, the royal baby is smuggled to the coast of Bohemia where an old shepherd finds her and renames her Perdita. Sixteen years later, Perdita falls in love with another young shepherd, Doricles, who turns out to be a prince in disguise. Honesty is a fool and true love the only answer in this mysterious, romantic tale of defiance and destiny.
FREE SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK BOROUGH DISTRIBUTION SCHEDULE:
Throughout the summer, a limited number of vouchers for that night’s performance will be distributed at a location in one of New York’s five boroughs beginning at 12 p.m. Vouchers will be redeemed at The Delacorte Theater for tickets. Dates and locations are subject to change.
With ongoing support from Citizens, more borough locations than ever before will expand access to tickets. 12 Citizens branches in all five boroughs will host distributions this summer.
May 23: Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (Staten Island)
May 24: New York Hall of Science (Queens)
May 26: Citizens, Williamsburg (Brooklyn)
May 27: Clason’s Point Library (Bronx)
May 28: The Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (Brooklyn)
May 29: Macomb’s Bridge Library (Manhattan)
May 30: Stapleton Library (Staten Island)
May 31: Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Brooklyn)
June 2: St. George Library Center (Staten Island)
June 3: Kings Highway Library (Brooklyn)
June 4: Sunset Park Library (Brooklyn)
June 5: Long Island City Library (Queens)
June 6: Jamaica Center for the Arts and Learning (Queens)
June 7: Bronx Community College (Bronx)
June 9: Citizens, Tribeca (Manhattan)
June 12: Macon Library (Brooklyn)
June 13: Elmhurst Library (Queens)
June 16: Citizens, Montague (Brooklyn)
June 17: THE POINT Community Development Center (Bronx)
June 18: Citizens, Pomonok (Queens)
June 20: Clinton Hill Library (Brooklyn)
June 21: Queens Museum (Queens)
June 23: Central Library (Queens)
June 24: Citizens, 86th Street (Brooklyn)
June 25: DreamYard (Bronx)
June 26: Flushing Library (Queens)
June 27: Windsor Terrace Library (Brooklyn)
July 26: New York Hall of Science (Queens)
July 28: Citizens, Bulls Head (Staten Island)
July 29: Clason’s Point Library (Bronx)
July 30: Citizens, Tribeca (Manhattan)
July 31: Macomb’s Bridge Library (Manhattan)
August 1: Clinton Hill Library (Brooklyn)
August 2: Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Brooklyn)
August 4: Citizens, 3rd and 92nd (Brooklyn)
August 5: St. George Library Center (Staten Island)
August 6: Citizens, Woodside (Queens)
August 7: Kings Highway Library (Brooklyn)
August 8: DreamYard (Bronx)
August 9: Brownsville Recreation Center (Brooklyn)
August 12: Citizens, Park Slope (Brooklyn)
August 13: Bay Ridge Library (Brooklyn)
August 14: Stapleton Library (Staten Island)
August 15: Flushing Library (Queens)
August 16: Bronx Community College (Bronx)
August 18: Citizens, Riverdale (Bronx)
August 19: Long Island City Library (Queens)
August 20: Citizens, Williamsburg (Brooklyn)
August 21: Elmhurst Library (Queens)
August 22: Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (Staten Island)
This year, Nordstrom NYC will host three in-person ticket lottery events at its flagship location at 57th and Broadway, on June 23, July 28, and August 18.
In addition to the expanded borough locations and their Nordstrom NYC partnership, The Public will continue to distribute tickets for Free Shakespeare in the Park through its popular in-person distributions in Central Park, in-person lottery at The Public Theater’s flagship, and digital lottery with TodayTix
