Twelfth Night returns: Delacorte Theatre debuts an $85 million facelift as Free Shakespeare in the Park comes back to life
New York City lines up again for Free Shakespeare in the Park, as overseen by the Public Theater, returning after a two-year hiatus and an $85 million renovation that refreshes the Delacorte Theatre’s exterior and backstage work while keeping the beloved open-air spirit intact.
Crossing Central Park’s busy drive to reach the Delacorte is part of the ritual, a reminder that the experience sits in the city’s rhythm as much as in the performance itself. The theater’s exterior now curves like a languorous eyelid and is wrapped in reclaimed redwood sourced from 25 decommissioned water tanks from across the five boroughs, a striking visual that makes the venue feel both modern and green-minded.
Inside, the upgrade is more evident on the outside than the interior. Ticket holders will find new seating, though the seats themselves look familiar; the bigger changes are backstage and in the fixtures and fittings that power the space, updated to support the production’s live, communal nature.
On a temperate evening, a decent-to-great production in this setting can feel elevated to an event. The perimeter is surrounded by trees, and when night falls, the lighting by Bradley King adds a luxe glow that enhances the performers’ work and the intimate sense of sharing the moment with an audience seated close to the action. The Delacorte remains a public space where free, open art is a part of the city’s cultural fabric.
The return production, a star-studded Twelfth Night, is a splashy, high-energy take on Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identity and gender play. Lupita Nyong’o plays Viola, with her real-life sister Lupita’s brother, Junior Nyong’o, stepping in as Sebastian. Sandra Oh is Olivia, Peter Dinklage is Malvolio, Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays Andrew Aguecheek, Daphne Rubin-Vega is Maria, and Khris Davis appears as Orsino. The set is spare by design, with the striking words What You Will painted in large type across the rear, serving as a direct invitation to contemporary audiences to interpret the play in their own way.
The production steers toward a brisk, sitcom-like pace with a string of funny set-pieces. Oh brings a sly vampishness to Olivia, while Dinklage delivers a commanding, pompous Malvolio that dominates early scenes with a memorable presence. Moses Sumney plays Feste, delivering a mix of song and wit that keeps the mood buoyant. Nyong’o and Ferguson share scene-stealing moments in a boxing-ring setup that heightens the comic stakes, and Rubin-Vega’s Maria, alongside John Ellison Conlee’s Sir Toby Belch, revel in mischief and merriment, even as a late-night bath scene with a hint of cocaine adds a dollop of reckless chaos.
Tonally, the production leans into its party-sonic, physical comedy, sometimes rushing Shakespeare’s sadder notes—Viola’s belief that Sebastian is dead, or the more solemn turn of Sebastian’s ally Antonio. Malvolio’s punishment and the play’s final resolutions feel somewhat undercooked against the heavy lift of the cast’s energy. Dinklage’s early-commanding presence makes the later pivot away from that momentum a little underwhelming, and the ultimate pairing of Viola and Orsino doesn’t quite land as a dream-come-true couple, despite the ensemble’s charm.
There are meaningful touches, though, that linger. The production nods to immigration and identity: Nyong’o and Nyong’o’s performances speak Swahili in moments that underline that Viola and Sebastian aren’t from Illyria, grounding the comedy in real-world themes of belonging and belonging unsettled. The chemistry between Nyong’o and her sister’s character matters more for the emotional core of Viola and Sebastian’s connection than for the play’s conventional romance.
Overall, the star-powered cast, the refreshed outdoor setting, and the Public Theater’s mission to keep Shakespeare accessible together create a vibrant, welcoming return to the Delacorte. It’s a celebration of live performance in a city that breathes culture, with the added layer of a generous public-provision space that invites everyone to experience free theater under the sky.
Summary: After two years away, the Delacorte Theatre reopens with Twelfth Night in a newly refreshed outdoor space. A star-studded cast, brisk direction, and a design-forward sense of place make it a lively, inviting evening that foregrounds both modern identity themes and the joy of shared performance in Central Park.
Additional commentary and value adds:
– The exterior renovation’s standout feature is the reclaimed redwood from decommissioned water tanks, a visual and sustainable talking point for readers and concertgoers.
– The production foregrounds themes of identity and immigration via multilingual moments, helping connect Shakespeare’s language with contemporary audiences.
– For prospective attendees: the experience is best enjoyed with an open mind to the live, park-side atmosphere; consider arriving a bit early to navigate the park’s paths and enjoy the setting as daylight fades.
If you’d like, I can provide a shorter caption for social media, or tailor a version focused more on the design and backstage upgrades for a dedicated arts-and-architecture audience.