Dear Friends,

Of all of New York City’s traditions, our favorite is this: every summer, we gather under the stars at the magical Delacorte Theater for Free Shakespeare in the Park.  We come together as strangers, visitors and fellow New Yorkers, as audiences and artists, and we get a glimpse of what a unified city could look like.

But this year is different. This year, we must stand together in keeping our city and each other safe. This means our summer season of Free Shakespeare in the Park will not be possible, and we must cancel our planned productions of RICHARD II and Public Works’ AS YOU LIKE IT.  We must also suspend our remaining season of programs and events at our flagship home at Astor Place through August 31.

This is a time of immense shared loss, throughout our city and throughout the world. The Public will bear financial losses, reductions in our staffing, and most heartbreakingly, the loss of our ability to gather and share stories together.

While our stages will remain dark, our commitment to our mission will burn brighter than ever. Our promise to you is that we will keep working tirelessly to bring you glorious work by our incredible artists. Our promise to you is that we will continue to find safe ways to connect with each other until we can be together again.  And our promise to you is that by standing side-by-side, we will find our way through this moment. In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and each other.

We thank you for being united with us. Together We Power The Public.

With gratitude,

Community is central to The Public. While the stages are dark, the rehearsal rooms quiet, and the spaces to gather are empty, we ask you to stay connected, stay engaged, and continue to stand with us. Please consider making a small gift to help all of us get through this together.

As we all navigate this situation together, we are reminded that the heartbeat of community is shared moments of gathering together. While nothing can fully replace those in-person connections, we have been working diligently to create digital artistic experiences and content to remain connected with you.

The Public is Theater Of, By, and For All People.

Season support provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater’s year-round activities.