Performance Months: June, July, and August •
Admission: Free
Ticket Distribution Delacorte Theater: Starts at 1:00pm on the day of the performance
FCFS basis •
Ticket Distribution Astor Place: The Public Theater
also distributes tickets from 1:00-3:00pm
at 425 Lafayette Street, FCFS basis •
Showtime: 8:00pm
(212) 539-8500
The setting for the Delacorte Theater in the heart
of Central Park the summer home of the New York
Public Theater Shakespeare in the Park, is
unparalleled in the US.
What theater featuring classical plays has a castle,
in this case Belvedere Castle looming above
it
on jutting bedrock or a natural habitat just beyond
the footlights of the stage? Nestled in a spot belowVista Rock and to the west of Turtle
Pond it is
flanked to the north by the Great Lawn.
Featuring mainly the plays of Shakespeare it also
offers other classical plays on occasion to a devoted
audience who wait on long lines, streaming from
the theater box office around the east rim of theGreat Lawn, to get tickets. The wait takes hours.
Many well-known stage and film stars have
appeared in these productions, including
Denzel Washington, Richard Dreyfuss and
Meryl Streep.
Founded in 1957 with funding from local
philanthropies and from some successful
Broadway shows like A Chorus Line, Joseph Papp
(1921-1991) brought open-air theater to
New York residents who gathered together
on the shores of Turtle Pond for Shakespeare
in the Park.
In 1962 with a donation from philanthropist
George Delacorte, the Delacorte Theater came
to be and, with the continued support of the
many visitors to the Park who cherish the
renowned performances, remains a solid icon
of Central Park history.h-107th Memorial Committee.
