New York Shakespeare Festival
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"New York Shakespeare Festival" is the traditional name of a sequence of shows organized by the Public Theater, most often being held at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. For years under the guidance of Joseph Papp and George C. Wolfe, the official name of the entire company was "The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival," as a tribute to the company's enduring commitment toward the timeless Shakespearean plots and idiosyncrasies. Under new re-organization and branding, the Public has dropped "NYSF" from its name, and has labelled its uptown operations as simply "Shakeapeare in Central Park" (colloquially to New Yorkers "Shakespeare in the Park").
"Shakespeare in the Park" is an annual theater festival held in the summer in New York City's Central Park. Tickets to Shakespeare in the Park are always free, which contributes to the popularity of the event. Long queues for the free tickets are common sights near the Great Lawn of Central Park, particularly during the end of a show's run and during productions with big name stars. Patrick Stewart, Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Jimmy Smits, Allison Janney, Oliver Platt, and Kevin Kline are just some of the actors who have graced the Delacorte stage in recent years.
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[edit] History of the Festival
The festival was originally conceived by director, producer, and Public Theater founder Joseph Papp in 1954. Papp began with a series of Shakespeare workshops, then moved on to free productions on the Lower East Side. Eventually, the plays moved to a lawn in front of Turtle Pond in Central Park. In 1959, parks commissioner Robert Moses demanded that Papp and his company charge a fee for the performances to cover the cost of "grass erosion." A court battle ensued. Papp continued to fight Moses, winning his enduring respect and the quote "well, let's build the bastard a theater." Following this, Moses requested funds from the city for the construction of an amphitheater in the park. In 1961, the Delacorte Theater was built. The first performance held in the theater in 1962 was Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, starring George C. Scott and James Earl Jones.
[edit] The Plays
Works by Shakespeare are always included in the festival's seasonal lineup. However, other playwrights have been featured, including Anton Chekhov, Gilbert and Sullivan, Eric Bogosian, Sam Shepard, and Samuel Beckett. The 2006 season will feature Mother Courage by Bertolt Brecht.
A notable exception came in the year a dispute occurred between Joseph Papp and the City of New York over public funding for his productions at the Delacorte. In a dramatic move of independence and zest, Joseph Papp denied the city any Shakespeare at the Delacorte for a summer, instead moving the Public's production of "Pirates of Penzance" to the uptown location. There have been few altercations between the city and the Public since, though the Public relies heavily on private funding.
[edit] Popularity and acclaim
Many plays from the summer festival have gone on to Broadway, including The Mystery of Edwin Drood from the 1984-1985 season and The Tempest from the 1995-1996 season. The festival has also attracted many well-known actors, such as Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Martin Sheen, and Al Pacino. Since its inception in the 1960s, the festival has become popular with New York natives and visitors to the city. While the Delacorte Theater has over 1,800 seats, it is often difficult to obtain a ticket and prospective theater goers can expect to stand in line for hours before the show. Approximately 80,000 people attend Shakespeare in the Park every year .[1].
[edit] Staging and Casting
The New York Shakespeare Festival was known for years as a means to develop new talent, and many actors, including Meryl Streep, attribute their preformances at the Delacorte as a key bolt in their rise to stardom. There have been times where casting will rely heavily on known names in the film and theater industries, as a means to enhance the stature of a show. While controversial in the fact that lesser knowns do not get the chance to portray key roles in the park, placing stars in the cast gives the greater public the thrill of seeing a film or theater star acting for free.
A variety of arrangements have been employed to modify the Delacorte Theater stage over the years. In recent years, the Public has been known for its elaborate sets at the Delacorte, with mixed metaphors and attempted tie-ins to contemporary events. While they have rarely strayed from the Shakespearean script, such staging and costuming has lent credibility to traditionalist critics. The current trend at the Delcorte has been away from original Elizabethan costuming and sets, and more toward a directorial impression of how a show can be re-interpreted. Depending on the show, this trend has led to mixed critical reviews.
[edit] Location and Allure
The Delacorte Theater is an open-air ampitheater located on the SW corner of the Great Lawn in Central Park, closest to the entrance at 81st St. and Central Park West. The Belvedere Castle provides a backdrop for all of the shows at the Delacorte. Immediately backstage is Turtle Pond. As shows at the Delacorte traditionally begin in the early evening, shows usually start in daylight; as the play rolls on, the sun sets and the audience is drawn into the illuminated action on the stage. Since 1962 the Public has had the privilege of its exclusive use.
[edit] Caveats for Theatergoers
Tickets are given out at 1pm, two per person, at the Delacorte Theater and at the Public's Greenwich Village location at 425 Lafayette St. Lines can get extremely long, and snaking lines are part of the trademark of getting tickets for these shows. Be advised that line jumpers will be severely reprimanded, mainly by fellow line-sitters. That said, the line can be a fantastic experience and a way to meet new friends while getting tickets to see one of the best known playwrights in one of the world's greatest cities.
The pre-eminent problem for theatergoers is rain, especially as tickets cannot be exchanged in the event of a rainout, no matter how long one has waited in line. This necessary evil prevents the logistical nightmare of backlogged rainout tickets. Do be on time for shows, as late seating is at the discretion of the director, and permission for late seating may not be granted until 30-40 minutes into the show.
