Shakespeare in the Park 2021

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Joan Marcus

Merry Wives

The Public Theater will bring Shakespeare in the Park back to Central Park in the summer of 2021!

The theater company plans to stage Merry Wives, an adaptation of The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Saheem Ali, from July 6th to September 18th. The official opening night is Tuesday, July 27.

ABOUT MERRY WIVES

Set in South Harlem amidst a vibrant and eclectic community of West African immigrants, Merry Wives will be a celebration of Black joy, laughter, and vitality. A New York story about the tricks of the heart, performed in the heart of the city.

DETAILS

DATES: July 6th to September 18th, 2021 - an extension of three weeks from the previously announced engagement.

The extension is designed to compensate for current social distancing procedures that will require limited audience capacity of 428 at the 1,800-seat Delacorte. The audience capacity could be expanded if state requirements for small- and medium-sized venues change before July.

Update: The audience size will be expanded from the previously announced 428 to 1,468, or approximately 80% of the 1,800-seat Delacorte.

TIME: MOST shows start at 8:00 PM, with the exception of September 20th. Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission.

LOCATION: Delacorte Theater, Central Park

FREE TICKETS: Due to current Health and Safety protocols, there will not be any day-of-performance, free ticket distribution lines in Central Park, in the boroughs, or at The Public's flagship on Lafayette Street. Instead, this summer, free tickets will be distributed entirely via an advanced digital lottery hosted by the Theater's new partner, GOLDSTAR. Enter the lottery through the Goldstar app on Apple, Android, and the website each Tuesday and Friday, one week prior to the next week’s scheduled performances.

HEALTH & SAFETY INFORMATION - SAFETY IN THE PARK

The Public Theater is currently operating under the published protocols set forth by the State of New York for small and midsized theaters. Beginning with preview performances on July 6th, the Delacorte Theater will welcome 1468 people in both Full Capacity and Physically Distanced sections. Full Capacity sections are recommended for those who are COVID-19 vaccinated, and the Physically Distanced sections are recommended for those who are not COVID-19 vaccinated. Everyone will be required to wear a mask inside the venue, regardless of vaccination status, but there will be no other requirements to visit the Delacorte to enjoy Free Shakespeare in the Park.

Stay up to date and learn more about all of the current protocols in place this summer at thepublic.nyc/safeinthepark.