The Public Theater

Posted on August 2, 2013

The Public Theater is one of the most important cultural institutions in New York City and in the U.S. It has produced innumerable unique and brilliant theatrical performances since its founding by Joseph Papp nearly 60 years ago. Production highlights include historic hits HAIR and A Chorus Line and venerable versions of Shakespeare’s plays at its annual summer series Shakespeare in the Park. The Public operates a complex of theaters in the East Village and the Delacorte Theater in New York City’s Central Park.

LOCATION

The Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street, New York City

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Delacorte Theater
Central Park West and West 81st, Central Park, New York City

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CURRENT SEASON

2013-2014

The Designated Mourner

All the Faces of the Moon

Arguendo

Fun Home

Grasses of a Thousand Colors

Good Person of Szechwan

The Apple Family Plays

Antony & Cleopatra

Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2, & 3)

A Second Chance

The Great Immensity

The Library

Shakespeare in the Park 2014

Much Ado About Nothing

King Lear

Under the Radar Festival

SUBSCRIPTION/MEMBERSHIP

The Public Theater’s annual membership program costs $60. It offers exclusive discounts on tickets, food, and drinks, as well as waived convenience charges and no lines. For more information visit The Public’s membership page.

THEATER DETAILS

The Public Theater operates from a beautiful landmark building, formerly the Astor Library, in the East Village neighborhood in New York City. Recently renovated, the Public complex contains five theaters and Joe’s Pub, which hosts cabaret-style performances.

SEATING CHARTS

Note: Seating charts may vary by performance.

Anspacher Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, New York City

Delacorte Theater (not available), Central Park West and West 81st, Central Park, New York City

LuEsther Hall, 425 Lafayette Street, New York City

Martinson Hall, 425 Lafayette Street, New York City

Newman Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, New York City

Shiva Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, New York City

OFFICIAL WEBSITE & PHONE NUMBER

www.publictheater.org

212-539-8500

Facebook: /publictheater

Twitter: @PublicTheaterNY

HISTORY

The Public was founded in 1967 by Joe Papp, a relentless producer and New York cultural hero. It began as The New York Shakespeare Festival – a series of free Shakespeare productions, now known as Shakespeare in the Park. Papp believed theater should be “accessible and relevant” and available to everybody, in both price and content. Papp was one of the first to actively enact color-blind casting; he supported new writers (he was given the manuscript for HAIR on the train, when one of the writers approached him); he passionately advocated for free and reduced cost admission to the theater; and he fought against censorship in the arts. Inspired by Joe Papp, the Public’s production history is filled with prominent and revolutionary pieces.

The Public has introduced to the world some of its most acclaimed actors and actresses, including: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Martin Sheen, James Earl Jones, Raul Julia, Jeff Goldblum, and more. Today, the Public often casts well known celebrities in its annual summer Shakespeare in the Park series that bring classics to the stage in Central Park, for example, Al Pacino in the Merchant of Venice, Amy Adams in Into the Woods, and Natalie Portman in The Seagull. As Joe Papp insisted, these performances are free of charge (not surprisingly, the demand for tickets to these shows is overwhelming, check out our tips and guide to Shakespeare in the Park).

The institution is led today by artistic director Oskar Eustis and executive director Patrick Willingham, and while it’s not quite as subversive as it used to be, both in content and in ticket prices (their latest production, the excellent Here Lies Love, cost $95 for a ticket), the Public continues to carry on Joe Papp’s legacy and values and delivers some of the best theater around.