Shakespeare in the Park in 1962

In 1962, the Delacorte Theater officially opened in the heart of Central Park as a place for free performances for the public. This episode of New York: A Portrait in Sound takes a look into Shakespeare in the Park, a festival that has turned into a long-running and beloved summer tradition.

Joseph Papp, founder of The Public Theater and director of that year’s show The Merchant of Venice, describes the beauty of these events: how people of all colors, backgrounds, and economic levels congregate to enjoy Shakespeare. One actress describes how “often we found with the tragedies in particular, you start with the daylight and the play usually deepens in its tragic nature as it moves along, so that as the night falls, the drama gets more and more complicated and moving towards its final conclusion.”

Celebrating its 53rd Anniversary this year, the Delacorte Theater still calls itself home for Shakespeare in the Park.

Exterior of New York Shakespeare Festival at Delacorte Theatre in Central Park, 1968.

(George E Joseph/New York Public Library)