wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

It's summertime in New York, which means theater lovers all over the city have been scrambling to get tickets to the Public Theater's near-daily Shakespeare in the Park performances. Today we celebrate the tradition with two archival recordings from the WNYC/Municipal Archives collection featuring Joseph Papp, founder of the Public Theater (and, later, Joe's Pub).

Opera fans know that Verdi wrote three brilliant operas based on Shakespeare: Macbeth, Otello and Falstaff. And then there is the great Shakespeare opera that Verdi struggled to create, but did not: Il Re Lear. Here's why.

Adam Feldman, theater critic at Time Out New York, discusses regional summer Shakepeare productions. Check out the list below for links to local Shakespeare fun and feel free to add a comment if we missed your company!

Adirondack Shakespeare Company | Boomerang Theater Company | Brave New World Repertory Theater  | Classical Theater of Harlem | Curious Frog Theater | Hip to Hip Theater Company | Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival | Hudson Warehouse | Inwood Shakespeare Festival|Manhattan Shakespeare Project | New York Classical Theater | Pulse Ensemble Theater | Resonance Ensemble  | Royal Shakespeare Company | Shakespeare in Central Park | Shakespeare in the Parking Lot | Shakespeare on the Sound | Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey | Theater 2020

"Hither" and "thither," the Bard's plays are all over the city. The tradition of free outdoor performances of Shakespeare in New York City dates back to the late 1950’s.

Starting Monday, free tickets to the annual city tradition of Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater, which is produced by The Public Theater, will be up for grabs.

Lily Rabe and Marianne Jean-Baptiste discuss their roles in “The Merchant of Venice,” and “The Winter’s Tale,” part of the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. They are both at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park through August 1. More information and schedule here.

WNYC takes you behind the scenes of one of the city's major theatrical institutions. Watch the video for details.