ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ON STAGE
Lily Rabe, Byron Jennings and Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice ©Joan Marcus
THE PUBLIC THEATER By Lori Simmons Zelenko
veryone is an artist this Summer as The Public Theater essentially goes public creating a theater experience not only for the people but by the people with community members, New Yorkers from all five boroughs acting alongside the award-winning equity performers on stage. Five million people have spent Summer evenings under the stars watching more than 150 free productions of Shakespeare and other classical works and musicals at the Delacorte Theater since 1962. Conceived by founder Joe Papp, The Public’s Shakespeare in the Park makes excellent theater accessible to all, uniting us in the singular sensation of great performances with some of our favorite actors dazzling us inclusively. The intimacy of the experience is otherworldly. Seeing actors who awe us on the big screen and Broadway up close and personal takes your breath away as you forget time and place to be in the moment waiting for words that thrill and performances that linger deliciously in your memory. I’ve been going to Shakespeare in the Park since I can remember and, of course, I have favorites and look forward to re-imaginings too, but being in Central Park as the sun sets and velvet cloaks the stage is a moment in time I cherish all year round. Don’t miss this season; it will be one of the best yet.
THE STARS The list of luminaries who have graced the stages of The Delacorte is unparalleled; it’s as impressive as Oscar night. Talents like Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Natalie Portman, Denzel Washington, Anne Hathaway, Liev Schreiber, Amy Adams, Annette Bening, John Lithgow, and Sam Waterston are just a few who have inspired and entertained us. Amazing talents engaging us naturally, sometimes humorously upstaged by a raccoon or other wildlife wandering on stage spontaneously distracts for the moment. Occasionally the play will be wiped out by a sudden downpour, but an evening at The Delacorte is always brilliant, surprising, and memorable for its randy humor even in tragedy, Shakespeare found comedy, and genuine, candid performances. 106 | OUR CITY, YOUR LIFE | JUNE/JULY 2018
Liev Schreiber in Henry V ©Michal Daniel