By William Shakespeare  
Directed by Saheem Ali

The Public Theater has unveiled their 2026 Free Shakespeare in the Park season, which they’re titling “Shakespeare for the City.” The institution’s newly renovated Delacorte Theater, located in Central Park, will host new productions of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and The Winter’s Tale, run dates and casting to be announced.

The Public Works series, which has New York community members and professional actors sharing the stage, will also return to the Delacorte in 2026. The title and artists involved will be announced at the later date. 

Public Associate Artistic Director Saheem Ali (Fat Ham, Buena Vista Social Club) will be at the helm for Romeo and Juliet, returning to the summer series after leading this past summer’s staging of Twelfth Night (streaming now on PBS). Winter’s Tale will be directed by Tony winner Daniel Sullivan, who has directed The Merry Wives of Windsor and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Shakespeare in the Park.

“‘Shakespeare for the City’ represents our bold legacy and vision of cultural and civic life for the people of this city,” says Public Executive Director Patrick Willingham in a statement. “Last summer, with the revitalized Delacorte Theater at the movement’s epicenter, more than 80,000 New Yorkers across all five boroughs found their place together, affirming that The Public’s Free Shakespeare in the Park, Public Works, Mobile Unit, and Public Forum are not just programs—they are a declaration of interdependence, a reassertion that culture belongs to everyone.”

Free Shakespeare in the Park is part of The Public’s annual summer celebration of Shakespeare for the City. Free. For All. Forever.