Student Blog: Be Merry!

It's that time of year again! After a pause last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Shakespeare in the Park will be returning to the Delacorte Theater. From July 6th to September 18th (extra performances have already been added), The Public Theater will be putting on Merry Wives: A Celebration of Black Joy and Vitality, an Jocelyn Bioh adaptation of William Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor. Here's a quote from The Public Theater's site on the changes made: "Set in South Harlem, amidst a vibrant and eclectic community of West African immigrants, MERRY WIVES is a New York story about tricks of the heart, performed in the heart of the City-Central Park's magical Delacorte Theater. A raucous spinoff featuring the Bard's most beloved comic characters, this hilarious farce tells the story of the trickster Falstaff and the wily wives who outwit him in a new celebration of Black joy, laughter, and vitality."

Here are the steps to enter the lottery for this season of Shakespeare in the Park:

1. Download the Goldstar app or go on the site, https://www.goldstar.com/
2. Create an account with your information
3. Set your location to New York and search up any variation of "Free Shakespeare in the Park" or "Merry Wives"
4. Choose to set the notification that says "Tell Me When the Lottery Opens," which will add the show to your list of favorites
5. Once the lottery is open (Tuesday and Friday between 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM), select your ticket option - 65+, Accessible, Full Capacity, Partial Capacity, etc.
6. Wait until the results at around 12:00 PM the day of the lottery
7. If you win, be sure to claim your ticket within an hour of getting the notification or your ticket will be given to someone else in the Second Chance Drawing

Best of luck in getting your tickets! I was lucky enough to have won the Second Chance Drawing for next and cannot wait to finally get back to seeing live theatre. Rain or shine, you will see me at the Delacorte!

The runtime for Merry Wives is 110 minutes with no intermission and will take place outside, rain or shine. Masks will be required for every audience member regardless of vaccination status.