First look: Peek inside the newly renovated Delacorte Theater in Central Park

Central Park's newly renovated Delacorte Theater doesn't just look better; it feels better and even smells better. After an 18-month renovation, the beloved venue run by The Public Theater is set open on August 7 for Shakespeare in the Park's free performances of Twelfth Night. We got a sneak peek inside the freshly updated space today.

At a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Public's Oskar Eustis described the Delacorte as "a palace for the people—and the people deserve the best." The renovation focused on improving accessibility and modernizing the space for artists and audiences. Luis Miranda, The Public's board chairman, credited a $42 million investment from local government leaders to help make it possible.

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Before even stepping foot inside, the theater's new curb appeal is obvious. Beautiful redwood reclaimed from decommissioned NYC water towers across the five boroughs has replaced the former gray siding, offering the added bonus of a fresh aroma.

Accessibility was a major priority for the update, and every part of the space is now accessible, from the seating to the light booth to the dressing rooms. Two new gates offer accessibly entry, and the number of ADA seats has more than doubled. Plus, the renovation added additional ramps, lifts, and elevators for artists and crew.

A palace for the people—and the people deserve the best

"The new Delacorte experience is better for the audience. It's better for the performers, designers, crew, staff, and most importantly, we are now ready for what comes next. We're here for the next generation," said Arielle Tepper, former board chair at The Public. "It is about making sure that everyone feels welcome here at the Delacorte, no matter who they are, where they're from, or if they've never seen live theater before." 

And theatergoers, women in particular, will be delighted by the newly updated bathrooms. The renovation doubled the amount of restroom facilities for women, solving bottlenecks that existed during intermission.

While the renovation is about looking to the future, Eustis took a moment to reflect on the past. He remembered the legacy of Joe Papp, who faced great obstacles to keep his free New York Shakespeare Festival running, eventually evolving into the free Shakespeare in the Park we know today. His conviction, Eustis said, was that "Shakespeare should belong to everybody." He insisted upon casting shows to look like the demographic makeup of the city itself.  

"The culture belongs to everybody and that to even charge a nickel for it, to put that much of an economic barrier, would be to fundamentally contradict the basic idea of the Shakespeare Festival, which is that the culture is everybody's property," Eustis said. 

The Delacorte Theater officially opened in Central Park on June 18, 1962, with The Merchant of Venice, directed by Papp and Gladys Vaughan and featuring George C. Scott as Shylock. In the years since, more than 150 productions have been presented for free at The Delacorte, featuring stars such as James Earl Jones (in Othello, 1964), Meryl Streep (The Taming of the Shrew, 1978); Denzel Washington (Richard III in 1990), Anne Hathaway (Twelfth Night, 2009); Al Pacino (The Merchant of Venice, 2010); and many more. 

Though theatrical performances won't begin for a few weeks, the audience at today’s ribbon cutting was treated to Shakespeare readings by Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Peter Dinklage, Lupita Nyong’o, and Sandra Oh—all of whom will perform in this year's showing of Twelfth Night. This year's free series runs from August 7 through September 14. 

New York City's Comptroller Brad Lander was so inspired by the Shakespeare spirit, he recited a sonnet he wrote for the occasion. As he read: 

"What a time to reopen this stage with enemies of culture on the prowl,
pitting fear and faux populist rage against empathy and attack most foul.
Our tyrant locks up immigrants, comptrollers too, and sows chaos, no matter the cost.
So what's a public theater to do to ensure that our democracy is not lost?
Happily, one answer is right here in new seats and stage for all New York to see,
our hearts and our democracy restored through Shakespeare that uplifts us all for free."