Starting Monday William Shakespeare returns to Central Park, and once again the Public has decided to do two shows in repertory with Measure for Measure, directed by David Esbjornson, running off-and-on with All’s Well That Ends Well, directed by Daniel Sullivan, between June 6 and July 30 (you can see which runs when here). And of course, the shows are free to the public. Last week, before Measure got into the Delacorte Theater for final tech rehearsals, we chatted with David Esbjornson (who has previously directed the world premiere of Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, the first public presentation of Perestroika, The Play About the Baby and many more) about directing a show with a double-booked cast (which happens to include actors like Tonya Pinkins, Annie Parisse and Michael Hayden), how you train actors to deal with wild animals, solving a "problem" Shakespeare play, and putting the Bard of Avon's lesser-known works into context. more ›

It's really a good deal. Get someone to wait in that godforsaken Shakespeare in the Park line for you all day, pay them less than you'd probably pay to see a Broadway show, and enjoy your culture free of hassle. But Attorney General Andrew Cuomo doesn't think that's right, and wants you to take off work and wait on line for your own free tickets! He said in a press release, "The not-for-profit Public Theater provides Shakespeare for all regardless of ability to pay. Selling tickets that are meant to be free deprives New Yorkers of enjoying the benefits that this taxpayer-supported institution provides." more ›

Beginning June 9th, the 2010 season of The Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park will bring The Winter's Tale and The Merchant of Venice to the outdoor stage. The cast, as usual, is talent-studded, with the likes of Al Pacino, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, and beloved Broadway and Law & Order actor Jesse L. Martin sharing the stage. more ›

The Public Theater has busted up a group of "professional line sitters" who've been queuing up for hours every day to get free tickets to Hair in Central Park, then selling them through Craigslist for $150 a pair. one ticket-ring mastermind, William Conklin, tells the Times he was shooed away a couple weeks ago, along with 30 other others (including several people he subcontracts to wait for tickets). Public Theater employees became suspicious after seeing the same people "over and over again" on line, and began checking to see if they actually attended the performances. Artistic Director Oskar Eustis defended the move, insisting that free theater “means that your time and presence — waiting in line — matters more than your money. In our commodity-obsessed money culture, that’s a vital civic touchstone. Some things shouldn’t be measured in dollars.” Tickets for Hair are available through the Public Theater website for $160 each. more ›

If you happen to be reading this in East Harlem, you’ve got a good shot at getting quick tickets to the Shakespeare in the Park revival of that ‘60s rock musical HAIR – you know, the one with that song "Age of Aquarius" from The 40 Year Old Virgin. The Public Theater is giving away vouchers for free tickets in all five boroughs through Saturday – today they’re at the El Museo Del Barrio (1230 5th Ave @ 104th Street) until 3 p.m. Sure, tickets are free anyway, but there's (theoretically) not such a crazy line for these. Just check the website for all the uptight, 21st century details about what “voucher” means to those squares at the Public. more ›