Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES

The production celebrated its opening night on Friday, August 6 at the Delacorte Theatre.

By: Aug. 09, 2021
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Shakespeare in the Park is back! On Friday night, MERRY WIVES celebrated its opening at the Delacorte Theater, where it will run through Saturday, September 18. The play is adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali.

The all-Black cast of MERRY WIVES includes Abena (Anne Page), Shola Adewusi (Mama Quickly), Gbenga Akinnagbe (Mister Nduka Ford), Pascale Armand (Madam Ekua Page), Mayaa Boateng (Fenton/Simple), Phillip James Brannon (Pastor Evans), Brandon E. Burton (Ensemble), Joshua Echebiri (Slender/Pistol), Branden Lindsay (Ensemble), Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Ensemble), Jarvis D. Matthews (Ensemble), Jacob Ming-Trent (Falstaff), Jennifer Mogbock (Ensemble), Julian Rozzell Jr. (Shallow), Kyle Scatliffe (Mister Kwame Page), David Ryan Smith (Doctor Caius), and Susan Kelechi Watson (Madam Nkechi Ford).

Set in South Harlem, amidst a vibrant and eclectic community of West African immigrants, MERRY WIVES is a New York story about tricks of the heart, performed in the heart of the City-Central Park's magical Delacorte Theater. A raucous spinoff featuring the Bard's most beloved comic characters, this hilarious farce tells the story of the trickster Falstaff and the wily wives who outwit him in a new celebration of Black joy, laughter, and vitality.

MERRY WIVES will feature scenic design by Beowulf Boritt; costume design by Dede Ayite; lighting design by Jiyoun Chang; co-sound design by Kai Harada and Palmer Hefferan; hair, wigs, and makeup design by Cookie Jordan; original music by Michael Thurber; original drum compositions by Farai Malianga; fight direction by Rocío Mendez; choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie; and sound system design by Jessica Paz. Narda E. Alcorn will serve as Production Stage Manager.

BroadwayWorld was on hand for the big night and you can go inside the festivities below!

Photo Credit: Bruce Glikas

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Nyla Watson and Ciara Renee

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Ciara Renee

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jessica Hecht

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Corey Stoll and Nadia Bowers

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Scott Stangland

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Josh Groban

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Josh Groban

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Danny Burstein

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Danny Burstein

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Samara Toussaint and Lorraine Toussaint

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jelani Alladin

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Nathan Lee Graham

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jelani Alladin

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Dede Ayite

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Rickey Tripp

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Nathan Lee Graham

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Javier Muñoz

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Kent Gash and Jelani Alladin

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Kristine Nielsen and Brent Langdon

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Joshua Echebiri

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Gbenga Akinnagbe

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jason Hackett and Public Theater Associate Artistic Director/Director of Public Theater Productions Mandy Hackett

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Rita Pietropinto Kitt and Tom Kitt

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Suzan-Lori Parks

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Christian Konopka and Suzan-Lori Parks

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Nicole Lewis

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Nicole Lewis

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Ato Blankson-Wood

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Brandon E. Burton, David Ryan Smith and Jacob Ming-Trent

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Brandon E. Burton

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Darrell Grand Moultrie

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Eisa Davis

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Danny Burstein and Jessica Hecht

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jocelyn Bioh, Saheem Ali

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jocelyn Bioh, Saheem Ali and cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jocelyn Bioh

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Director Saheem Ali and the cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
The cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Gbenga Akinnagbe, Susan Kelechi Watson, Jacob Ming-Trent, Pascale Armand and Kyle Scatliffe

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jacob Ming-Trent and cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Susan Kelechi Watson

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Susan Kelechi Watson and cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Pascale Armand

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Susan Kelechi Watson, Pascale Armand and cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Abena and cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Gbenga Akinnagbe and Kyle Scatliffe

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Phillip James Brannon and David Ryan Smith and cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
The cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Farai Malianga and cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
The cast

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Danai Gurira and Playwright Jocelyn Bioh

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Playwright Jocelyn Bioh and Director Saheem Ali

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jocelyn Bioh

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jocelyn Bioh

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Daryl Beck and Saheem Ali

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Kylie Brown, Oskar Eustis and Laurie Eustis

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Eisa Davis

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Mimi Bilinski and Beowulf Boritt

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Anise Dorsey and Eisa Davis

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Joshua Echebiri

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Branden Lindsay

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Branden Lindsay

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Phillip James Brannon

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Kyle Scatliffe

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Kyle Scatliffe

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jacob Ming-Trent

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jacob Ming-Trent

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES David David Ryan Smith

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jennifer Mogbock

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jennifer Mogbock

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Oskar Eustis and Saheem Ali

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Pascale Armand

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Pascale Armand

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Abena, Jarvis D. Matthews, Shola Adewusi, Mayaa Boateng,Branden Lindsay and Gbenga Akinnagbe

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jarvis D. Matthews

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Jarvis D. Matthews

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Mayaa Boateng, Shola Adewusi and Abena

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Mayaa Boateng

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Susan Kelechi Watson

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Susan Kelechi Watson

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Shola Adewusi

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Shola Adewusi

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Kyle Scatliffe, Jacob Ming-Trent, Gbenga Akinnagbe and Julian Rozzell Jr.

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Abena

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Abena

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Julian Rozzell Jr.

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Julian Rozzell Jr.

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Ebony Marshall-Oliver and Oskar Eustis

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Ebony Marshall-Oliver

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Ebony Marshall-Oliver

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Angela Grovey

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Angela Grovey

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Farai Malianga

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Farai Malianga

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Gbenga Akinnagbe

Photos: Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park Returns with MERRY WIVES
Dede Ayite



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