Play On! Shakespeare in the Park to Return to the Delacorte Theater This Summer

Here's some fantastic news for New York theater lovers: Shakespeare in the Park is returning to the Delacorte Theater this summer! The Public Theater shared the exciting news on March 16. The season was canceled last year due to the coronavirus crisis.

The first production back will be Merry Wives, a fresh adaptation of Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, beginning on July 6. The play will be adapted by Jocelyn Bioh, who is known for School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play and set to pen the script for the film adaptation of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's musical Once On This Island. Merry Wives, will be directed by Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director Saheem Ali. Set in South Harlem amidst a vibrant and eclectic community of West African immigrants, the Public Theater describes Merry Wives as "a celebration of Black joy, laughter, and vitality." The show will run through August 29.

"We have spent the last year getting ready. We have been producing new work, and preparing a safe return. We’ve grieved, Zoomed, innovated, supported our communities, and connected our city," said a statement released by the Public Theater. "We’ve gathered brilliant artists to imagine summer under the stars in Central Park."

In partnership with city officials, health and safety experts as well as theatrical unions, the performance schedule, safety protocols and free ticket distribution details will announced later.