The Delacorte Theater is the summer home of the annual “Shakespeare in the Park” production.

John B. Moore Romeo & Juliet outside the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Begun in 1957 by Joseph Papp as part of the Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival the annual productions draw thousands to the open air theater at the heart of Central Park. Originally built as a temporary structure in 1962, the Delacorte Theater is the setting for the continuing series. The audience sits in a horseshoe shape, just short of being in the round. The backdrop to the stage is Turtle Pond, bathed in a shifting shimmer of artificial lighting. Beyond the Pond is the velvety night green of the Great Lawn. And to the right, perched on Vista Rock, highlighted by spotlights is Belvedere Castle, waiting for its close-up.

While the majority of free tickets for Shakespeare in the Park are distributed via the free line at the Delacorte Theater, a limited number of tickets will be available the day of each performance online. Specific locations for senior and handicapped accessible seats are not available through the virtual ticket line.
For more ticket info click here.

“The Shakespeare Marathon” was Joseph Papp’s plan to produce all of Shakespeare’s plays at the Delacorte or the Public Theater. The Marathon began in 1987 with “Much Ado About Nothing,” and ended in 1997 with “Henry VIII.” The Delacorte also has hosted classical plays such as “Electra,” “Agamemnon,” “The Skin of Our Teeth,” – and musicals including “The Pirates of Penzance” and “On the Town.” The list of well-known actors who have appeared at the Delacorte is a “Who’s Who” of theater: Linda Ronstadt, George G. Scott, Kevin Kline, Blythe Danner, Denzel Washington, Richard Dreyfuss, Gregory Hines, Raul Julia, and Michelle Pfeiffer. And that’s just a sampling.

The Public Theater has announced the full lineup for Summer 2010:

Two Shakespeare Plays To Be Performed in Repertory ??June 9 – August 1, 2010

The 2010 Shakespeare in the Park summer season will present two Shakespeare plays in repertory giving audiences eight straight weeks of free Shakespeare. Under directors Daniel Sullivan and Michael Greif, the same company of actors will perform in both THE WINTER’S TALE and THE MERCHANT OF VENICE on rotating nights. THE MERCHANT OF VENICE will be directed by Daniel Sullivan and THE WINTER’S TALE will be directed by Michael Greif. Previews for Shakespeare in the Park 2010 will begin on Wednesday, June 9 and run through Sunday, August 1.

Location : Mid-Park at 80th Street
Details : Southwest corner of the Great Lawn – Seasonal