NY Classical Theatre to Open 2016 Season in Central Park, 5/31

New York Classical Theatre - New York City's ONLY all-free Off-Broadway theatre - will celebrate William Shakespeare's life and the 400th anniversary of his death with the company's 17th season featuring two of his most magical plays of romance - A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Winter's Tale.

A Midsummer Night's Dream will begin performances this Tuesday, May 31 in Central Park at 7:00pm (enter at West 103rd St. & Central Park West, via the B/C trains to West 103rd Street). The production will then play one additional 7:00pm performance on Wednesday, June 1, before shifting to a regular playing schedule of Thursday's through Sunday's at 7:00pm (June 2 through June 26).

Following the Central Park engagement A Midsummer Night's Dream will then play at the following NYC parks:

Nelson A. Rockefeller Park in Battery Park

(North end of Battery Park City & West of River Terrance,

via 1/2/3/A/C trains to Chambers St)

Wednesday, June 29 through Saturday, July 2, 2016

Prospect Park

(Enter at Grand Army Plaza, via 2/3 trains to Grand Army Plaza)

Wednesday through Sunday, July 6 - 10

Carl Schurz Park

(Enter at East 86th Street and East End Avenue,

via 4/5/6 trains to East 86th Street)

Tuesday, July 12

Thursday through Sunday, July 14-17

All performances begin at 7:00pm

New York Classical Theatre's artistic hallmark is Panoramic Theatre: scripts are adapted for each iconic performance space and the audience put at the center of the action of the play, creating a deeply immersive theatrical experience. Their outdoor productions in large public locations push Panoramic Theatre a (literal) step further. At each performance, the audience follows the actors from place to place as the plot unfolds from scene to scene.

For example, in Measure for Measure, the audience escorted Claudio to prison inside The Battery's foreboding Castle Clinton, and in Hamlet, they chased the mad Ophelia down the marble corridors of Brookfield Place.

New York Classical Theatre's Associate Artistic Director Sean Hagerty will direct A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare's classic tale of mischievous fairy magic and the effect it plays on young lovers lost in the woods.

The Winter's Tale, Shakespeare'slate masterpiece, will be directed by New York Classical Theatre's Founder & Artistic Director Stephen Burdman, and will be in open rehearsals daily June 28 through July 17, 12:30-5:00pm at The Battery, with performances, beginning in front of Castle Clinton, July 18 through August 7 (except Thursdays). The production will then move to Brooklyn Bridge Park (meet in front of at Bargemusic on Pier 1) from August 9 through August 14 (no performance on August 11).

Like all New York Classical Theatreproductions, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Winter's Tale will be rehearsed and performed for free to the public. For more information, including directions to rehearsals or performances, please visit www.NewYorkClassical.org.