NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The Bard is coming back!
The Public Theater on Tuesday announced that the popular "Shakespeare in the Park" program will be returning this summer.
The group plans to reopen after being canceled last year amid the pandemic on July 5 with a modern adaptation of “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”
“We’re thrilled to be preparing for a safe return to The Delacorte for Free Shakespeare in the Park,” the Public Theater wrote in a tweet.
Posting a photo of the empty stage at the Delacorte Theater, the company added, “The Delacorte isn’t empty, it’s full of hope that we will be together again this summer.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio sees this as a sign of rebirth.
"For this to be coming back is a great harbinger of better things to come in New York City," de Blasio said Tuesday.
On its website, the Public Theater noted that they have been preparing for the return of Shakespeare in the Park for months.
“We have spent the last year getting ready. We have been producing new work and preparing a safe return. We’ve grieved, Zoomed, innovated, supported our communities, and connected our city,” the company wrote. “We’ve gathered brilliant artists to imagine summer under the stars in Central Park and are planning a return of Free Shakespeare in the Park beginning July 5 through August 29.”
New York state plans to allow 500 people at outdoor events beginning next month, so long as all attendees provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test or vaccination.
Without testing, capacity at outdoor events is limited to 200 people. The Delacorte Theater in Central Park can host about 2,000 people.
Artistic Director Oskar Eustis said health is a priority.
"We're gonna make sure we have testing for the actors, we're gonna make sure we have vaccinations for the actors and the backstage crew," he said.
"There's nothing like free Shakespeare in the Park to make this statement that New York is back, that we can gather together, that we can celebrate together, have joy together, but even more than opening New York, we're also reopening New York theater, which is essential to the identity of New York City," he added.
Shakespeare in the Park has been a beloved tradition in New York City for over 60 years. The events are free to the public and tickets are distributed every day that there is a performance at the Central Park theater.