The Public Theater Brings Back Shakespeare in the Park
After an eighteen-month hiatus for renovations, The Public Theater is bringing back Shakespeare in the Park to the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.
The Delacorte’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, image courtesy of Rebecca J Michelson and The Public Theater.
Grab tickets off right Astor Place Plaza at The Public Theater for Shakespeare's triumphant return to the Delacorte — a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, directed by Tony Award nominee Saheem Ali.
The performance will run August 7 (for previews) through September 14, 2025. It features Lupita Nyong’o as Viola and her brother Junior Nyong’o as Sebastian, joined by Sandra Oh (Olivia), Peter Dinklage (Malvolio), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Andrew Aguecheek), Moses Sumney (Feste), Khris Davis (Orsino), Bill Camp (Sir Toby), and Daphne Rubin‑Vega (Maria). Ali’s staging celebrates Twelfth Night’s joyful chaos and emotional resonance—twins separated by shipwreck, cross‑dressing subterfuge, and the heady collisions of love—all unfolding under the open sky at Central Park’s iconic Delacorte.
This revival arrives after the theater’s sweeping $85 million restoration, which enhanced accessibility and sustainability while preserving the Delacorte’s beloved intimacy and natural charm. Every performance is completely free, supported by multiple ticket-distribution methods—including in‑person lines at the Delacorte, borough pop‑up distributions, and digital lotteries via TodayTix—ensuring broad access across the five boroughs.
Few cultural institutions have as large a reach and as big of an impact on the lives of New Yorkers as The Public—and although the home of Shakespeare in the Park is seventy blocks north of the Village, its beating heart is the Public Theater, located just off Astor Place.
The Public’s Mobile Unit production of The Comedy of Errors, image courtesy of Peter Cooper and The Public Theater.
From the Village to the Upper West Side, The Public continues to dissolve the boundaries of borough and class, bringing the best of the Bard to all corners of the city.