PUBLIC WORKS
PUBLIC WORKS seeks to unite our city through the creation of ambitious, participatory theater. By forging collaborations that reach far beyond the traditional boundaries of the American theater—bringing together community organizations, civic institutions, and New Yorkers of all ages and backgrounds with experienced artists— PUBLIC WORKS creates extraordinary works of art that remind us that humanity is at its best when the boundaries that divide us give way to the shared act of making something together. Working deeply with 9 partner organizations and our members through year-round arts programming—including classes, potlucks, attending performances, and our summer production—PUBLIC WORKS activates cultural institutions’ potential to become spaces where people find belonging, combat isolation, and are nurtured as artists.
UNDER THE GREENWOOD TREE
A documentary created with Art Docs focusing on the 2017 Public Works production of AS YOU LIKE IT. Performed by 200 New Yorkers of all ages and boroughs. Co-adapted by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery, music and lyrics by Shaina Taub, original choreography by Sonya Tayeh, and direction by Laurie Woolery. The production was set to remount in 2020 but halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This film tracks the creation of the show and how this resilient community banded together amidst the crises of 2020.
LET'S HEAR IT FOR NEW YORK
On August 12, 2024, 1,200 New Yorkers gathered in Central Park for LET'S HEAR IT FOR NEW YORK! AN UNFORGETTABLE DANCE EXPERIENCE, organized by The Public Theater's Public Works program. Participants of all ages and backgrounds learned choreography to Alicia Keys' EMPIRE STATE OF MIND from the Broadway show HELL'S KITCHEN. The city-wide initiative by four-time Tony-nominated director/choreographer Camille A. Brown and her organization Every Body Move, and co-directed by Brown and Public Works’ Laurie Woolery.
PUBLIC STORIES
April 2024. PUBLIC STORIES, a performance series created and directed by Julian Goldhagen, showcases the true, personal stories of New Yorkers from across the city. Featuring members of the Public Works community, each performance draws on various narrative forms and weaves together stories around a common theme. Public Stories is an expression of the Public Theater's mission to create performance that is OF, BY, and FOR the people of New York City.
THE SEED PROJECT
November 2020. THE SEED PROJECT is an ambitious work of collaborative and participatory art across the nation. Community members from the Public Works National Partners and Affiliates are responding to the prompt: 'Today, I am planting a seed of ...' These offerings for the future are being turned into large-scale pieces of public art. In New York, Public Works has collected responses from 150 community members and used them to create a large-scale projection to cover the entire facade of 425 Lafayette.
PUBLIC WORKS' VIDEO ARCHIVE
Featuring videos highlighting more than 10 years of PUBLIC WORKS. Check out highlights from past productions, behind-the-scenes looks at projects and classes, and filmed discussions and panels that emphasize the many ways PUBLIC WORKS builds community and connects people through theater.
Upcoming Productions
Public Works' PUBLIC RECORD
Written by Lisa Sanaye Dring
Concept and Creative Direction by Dan Canham and Emily Lim
Original Orchestrations & Music Supervision by Michael Thurber
Co-Directed and Choreographed by Dan Canham
Directed by Emily Lim
Based on an original concept by Emily Lim and Dan Canham, Musical Supervision and Songs by Ross Millard and Words by Stewart Pringle
The Delacorte Theater
September 4-8, 2026
New Yorkers from all five boroughs are coming together to create a live album—on stage, in real time. PUBLIC RECORD, based on a concept by Dan Canham and Emily Lim, brings Public Works community members, musicians, and dancers into a cast of over 100 to capture how our city sings, moves, and tells its story in this moment. Written by Lisa Sanaye Dring, with music by Michael Thurber, direction by Emily Lim, and co-direction and choreography by Dan Canham, this electrifying new production stands as an act of collective hope, joy, and resistance. The album will be preserved by the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts forever, ensuring that long after summer fades, it will remain a powerful reminder that the true record of a city isn’t just its headlines—it’s the sound of neighbors standing side by side.
WHO WE ARE
Created in 2012, PUBLIC WORKS builds and maintains a vibrant intergenerational and multicultural community from all five boroughs. At the core of this process is our 9 community partners, their members, and their loved ones. We look for organizations that are incredible at building belonging with New Yorkers. If you are interested in becoming a partner, please contact The Public Theater.
Working deeply with these partner organizations and our members in year-round arts programming such as classes, potlucks, attending performances, and our summer production, PUBLIC WORKS activates cultural institutions’ potential to become spaces in which people find belonging, combat isolation, and are nurtured as artists.
WHAT WE DO
In New York City
PUBLIC WORKS builds relationships with community members through year-round programming throughout the city designed in collaboration with our community partner organizations.
- We offer CLASSES at our community partner organizations and at The Public, taught by teaching artists and tailor-made to serve the artistic interests of the Public Works community.
- Monthly POTLUCKS at The Public Theater give us all an opportunity to share a meal and hold space for connection through community-driven offerings: artistic works by our community, guest artists, and activities that invite us all to create, engage and collaborate.
- PUBLIC WORKS LAB is a space of artistic exploration that puts community members in conversation and collaboration with leading theater artists developing new works.
- PUBLIC STORIES is The Public's new civic storytelling program, centering community members as storytellers and artists, and affirms storytelling as a vital practice in a democratic society.
- Programming also includes community-led committees, seeing shows together, and an annual newsletter.
- PRODUCTIONS bring together members of our community to create extraordinary, large-scale, participatory works of theater.
As You Like It, 2022 Photo credit: Joan Marcus.
The Winter's Tale, Dallas Theater Center, 2018. Photo credit: Kim Leeson
Across the Country and Around the World
Public Works shares resources with theaters across the country and world to help build momentum around community-based theater nationwide. Collectively, we are seeking to put theater at the heart of every community, and community at the heart of every theater.
We have been in partnership with: Dallas Theater Center's Public Works Dallas (Dallas, TX), the National Theatre's Public Acts (London and nationally, England), Seattle Repertory Theatre (Seattle, WA), Long Wharf Theatre (New Haven, CT), National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts - Weiwuying (Kaohsiung, Taiwan), Philadelphia Theatre Company (Philadelphia, PA), Pittsburgh Public Theater (Pittsburgh, PA), Theatre Under The Stars (Houston, TX), and Trinity Repertory Company (Providence, RI) among many others.
Leadership support for Public Works is provided by the Abrams Foundation and the Eisner Foundation. Generous support for Public Works is provided by Jody & John Arnhold, the Endeavor Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the One World Fund, Select Equity Group, The SHS Foundation, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, Susan & David Viniar, the Whiting Foundation, and Felice Zwas & Sarah Gallen. Special thanks to the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, and the Venable Foundation.
Header Photo: Darius de Haas (center) and the community ensemble of Public Works’ musical adaptation of As You Like It, adapted by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery, music and lyrics by Shaina Taub, original choreography by Sonya Tayeh, choreography restaging and additional choreography by Billy Griffin, and directed by Laurie Woolery. Photo credit: Joan Marcu