Complete Cast Announced for Shakespeare in the Park's Merry Wives; Production Extended

The previously announced production of Merry Wives, adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali, will now play at the Delacorte Theater beginning on July 6 and run through September 18. It was originally set to begin on July 5 and conclude on August 28.

The all-Black cast includes Abena, Shola Adewusi, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Pascale Armand, MaYaa Boateng, Phillip James Brannon, Brandon E. Burton, Joshua Echebiri, Branden Lindsay, Ebony Marshall-Oliver, Jarvis D. Matthews, Jacob Ming-Trent, Jennifer Mogbock, Julian Rozzell Jr., Kyle Scatliffe, David Ryan Smith and Susan Kelechi Watson.

Set in South Harlem, amidst a vibrant and eclectic community of West African immigrants, Merry Wives is a New York story about tricks of the heart.. A raucous spinoff featuring the Bard’s most beloved comic characters, this hilarious farce tells the story of the trickster Falstaff and the wily wives who outwit him in a new celebration of Black joy, laughter, and vitality.

Merry Wives will feature scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Jiyoun Chang, co-sound design by Kai Harada and Palmer Hefferan, original music by Michael Thurber, fight direction by Rocío Mendez, choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie, hair, wigs and make-up design by Cookie Jordan and sound system design by Jessica Paz. Narda E. Alcorn will serve as Production Stage Manager.

“The New York theater is opening again at long last, and it belongs to everyone. Free Shakespeare in the Park is the most democratic of civic spaces, and for the Delacorte to launch the reopening of New York’s theater is a beautiful reminder of all the hopes we have for our city’s future,” said Artistic Director Oskar Eustis in a statement. “Merry Wives of Windsor is Shakespeare's most purely lighthearted play; its comic targets are men’s vanity, jealousy, and self-absorption, its heroines are women of wit, strength and power. We are returning with a celebration of our immigrant communities of color and our certainty that Shakespeare can belong to all people, no matter who you are. We are back. New York is back. Come to Central Park to celebrate!”

Tickets to Merry Wives are free, continuing the Public Theater’s longstanding tradition of free programming and community engagement.