Photos: Shakespeare Downtown's UNCLE VANYA at Castle Clinton National Monument at The Battery

Evan Olson and Scarlett Strasberg star in Geoffrey Horne's translation of the Chekhov classic, free at Battery Park.

By: Stephi Wild Jun. 18, 2026

Lower Manhattan's Shakespeare Downtown will continue its 10th season of free performances with Geoffrey Horne's translation of 'Uncle Vanya' - Anton Chekhov's timeless tragicomedy of longing, frustration, and fading dreams, performed within the open-air stone walls of Castle Clinton National Monument June 18-21, 2026. Free tickets are available the day of the performance at Castle Clinton starting at 5:45 p.m. Check out photos from the production below!

In 'Uncle Vanya' love, regret, and the quiet ache of unrealized lives simmers beneath the surface of a crumbling 1800s Russian country estate. As a family and their restless visitors collide over long-held frustrations and unexpected passions, this timeless masterwork unfolds with dark humor and piercing heartbreak.

The acclaimed production continues its run from Thursday, June 18 through Sunday, June 21 at Castle Clinton National Monument, The Battery (Battery Park) New York, NY 10004. Running Time: 120 minutes, no intermission.

Directed and translated by Geoffrey Horne.

Featuring: Billie Andersson (Yelena Andreevna Serebryakova), Karl Bateman (Ilya Ilyich Telegin), Narque Cyriaque (Yefim/Hired Man), Timothy Nolan (Aleksandr Vladimirovich Serebryakov), Evan Olson (Ivan Petrovich Voynitsky "Vanya"), Elizabeth Ruf (Maria Vasilyevna Voynitskaya), Scarlett Strasberg (Sofya Alexandrovna Serebryakova "Sonya"), Juan Pablo Toro (Mikhail Lvovich Astrov), Chantal Van Zyl (Marina Timofeevna)

Photo Credit: Amy Goossens

Photos: Shakespeare Downtown's UNCLE VANYA at Castle Clinton National Monument at The Battery Image

Timothy Nolan

Evan Olson, Billie Andersson, Karl Bateman