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Continuing the work of its visionary founder, Joseph Papp, The Public Theater is dedicated to developing an American theater that is accessible and relevant to all people. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today The Public engages audiences in a variety of venues – beginning with Free Shakespeare in the Park. More than five million people have visited the Delacorte Theater for free performances, making it one of New York City’s most beloved summer traditions.

Highlights include:

• OTHELLO with James Earl Jones (1964)
• HAMLET with Sam Waterston (1975)
• THE TAMING OF THE SHREW with Raul Julia and Meryl Streep (1978)
• THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt (1980)
• HENRY V with Kevin Kline (1984)
• MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING with Kevin Kline and Blythe Danner (1988)
• RICHARD III with Denzel Washington (1990)
• OTHELLO with Raul Julia and Christopher Walken (1991)
• THE TEMPEST with Patrick Stewart (1995)
• THE SEAGULL with Natalie Portman, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Philip Seymour Hoffman (2001)
• MOTHER COURAGE with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline (2006)
• MACBETH with Liev Schreiber (2006)
• HAIR with Jonathan Groff and Will Swenson (2008)
• TWELFTH NIGHT in 2009 with Anne Hathaway (2009)
• THE MERCHANT OF VENICE with Al Pacino and Lily Rabe (2010)
• AS YOU LIKE IT with Lily Rabe (2012)
• Stephen Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS with Amy Adams, Denis O’Hare, and Donna Murphy (2012)
• LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST, a world premiere musical adaptation by Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman (2013)
• KING LEAR with John Lithgow (2014)
• THE TEMPEST with Sam Waterston (2015)
• THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, with Phyllida Lloyd directing an all-female cast (2016)
  
  

Free Shakespeare in the Park is made possible by the contributions of people like you. Learn more about how you can make a donation and support this New York City tradition!