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I have not personally experienced a play at the Delacorte theatre, mostly because I don't want to wait on the ticket line for numerous hours. The closest thing to a play at Central Park I've had has been a theatre in the Park production of a Mid-Summer Nights Dream. This actually had the actors and audience move from several locations in the park.
Getting back to the Delacorte Theater. Established in 1962, the Delacorte Theater is an open-air theater located in Central Park. It is adjacent to both Turtle Pond and Belvedere Castle. Tickets are free, and there are usually very long lines due to this. Each individual can pick up two free tickets each, starting at one p.m. of each performance day. The line could start forming at dawn, so be prepared to wait and bring some form of entertainment while you wait. Waiting in line can be an experience in itself and you may very well enjoy a full day in Central Park. The theater has over 1800 seats and hosts an audience of 8000 every year.
This year, Hamlet and Hair were the productions performed. Hamlet took place from May - June and Hair took play from July - September. You can find more details from the New York Shakespeare Festival, now known as Shakespeare in the Park at the Public Theatre website.
To get to the theatre, the closest entrance to the theater is at 81st and Central Park West.
Enjoy your time at the theater! Have you attended a play at the Delacorte Theater? Share your experience in the comments. If I've left out anything important in this post, let me know in the comments and I will amend the post, giving you and your source credit. Have you enjoyed my series on Central Park so far?
2 comments:
I've been to the Delacorte nearly every year since '97. It's a lot of fun, and the time in the morning goes quickly. Bring a chair or a blanket, and a book or two, and you're fine. The line doesn't start moving until nearly 1PM. The shows are amazing, really Broadway quality. Plus, it's a great stage with the trees and Turtle Pond behind it.
Thanks for your insight adinarj and encouragement for others to attend. I've read and heard a lot about the theatre and the location and backdrop definitely gives it a unique appeal. I agree with you and do highly recommend anyone who can attend to spend a day of leisure at the Delacorte Theater.
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