Shakespeare In The Park To Perform In Rep In 2010

The Public Theater has already announced the two productions that it will present for 2010's "Shakespeare in the Park" series at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Next year, the summer tradition will truly live up to its name, presenting two of the Bard's plays (rather than one Shakespeare paired with a classic or modern classic, as has been the recent pattern), The Merchant of Venice and The Winter's Tale. Even more interesting is that the Public has decided to run the two Shakespeare in the Park shows in rep, which hasn't been done in nearly 20 years. Both productions will feature the same company of actors and designers, with Daniel Sullivan directing The Merchant of Venice and Michael Greif directing The Winter's Tale.

Twelfth Night Officially Opens in Central Park Tonight

The Public Theater's first Shakespeare in the Park production of the summer, Twelfth Night, opens at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park tonight. The play, which is one of the Bard's most enduring comedies (and was last produced in the park in 2002), began performances on June 10 and will run through July 12. Although this production doesn't officially open until this evening, the buzz on it during previews is some of the most positive word-of-mouth on one of the Public's Shakespeare in the Park shows in years. Twelfth Night stars Anne Hathaway as Viola, a young woman who dresses up as a young man so that she can work for Orsino (Raul Esparza), the duke who is in love with mournful Lady Olivia (Audra McDonald), who in turn falls in love with the cross-dressing Viola. Also taking part in the wacky antics is Jay O. Sanders as Toby Belch, Julie White as Maria, Hamish Linklater as Sir Andrew, and Michael Cumpsty as Malvolio. The production is directed by Daniel Sullivan, and Brooklyn folk-rock group Hem has set Shakespeare's many songs in the play to music.

Shakespeare In The Park's Hair Opens

The Shakespeare in the Park production of Hair opens at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park tonight. The revival of the groundbreaking Off-Broadway (and later Broadway) hippie musical has already been playing at the Delacorte for a couple weeks and will continue playing until the end of this month. There has been a great deal of speculation about whether or not this production will transfer to an open Broadway run, but that is still up in the air.

Shakespeare in the Park Kicks Off With Hamlet

The Public Theater's "Shakespeare in the Park" season begins at Central Park's Delacorte Theatre tonight with the first performance of Hamlet. Michael Stuhlbarg, who has appeared on Broadway in plays such as The Invention of Love and The Pillowman, is starring as the troubled title character. Stuhlbarg is ably supported by a talented cast, including Lauren Ambrose (Broadway's Awake and Sing!) as Ophelia, Sam Waterston (Law & Order) as Polonius, Andre Braugher as Claudius, and Margaret Colin (seen on Broadway last season in Old Acquaintance) as Gertrude.

Romeo and Juliet - Shakespeare in the Park

The Public Theater has just announced full casting for its first Shakespeare in the Park offering, and it looks like this year won't be the star-studded affair of past years (see: Meryl Streep in Mother Courage and Her Children last summer). The biggest names in Romeo and Juliet, which begins performances on June 5, are Lauren Ambrose and Camryn Manheim, who will play Juliet and her Nurse in Shakespeare's iconic love story. Having a more low profile cast is likely a blessing in disguise, since it means we'll get to enjoy the Bard's beautiful text being performed by trained professionals rather than struggling movie stars (obviously I'm not referring to Ms. Streep, who was a knockout). It also means that ticket demand won't be as high, so you'll have a better chance of snagging tickets. For the uninitiated, Shakespare in the Park tickets are absolutely free, and they're distributed at 1PM on the day of the performance in front of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, and also in front of the Public Theater downtown. Demand varies, but it's usually a good idea to join the line by 8 or 9 in the morning (when Meryl was doing the show, people often camped out the night before!)