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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  Image
Nyla Watson and Ciara Renee

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Danny Burstein

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

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Samara Toussaint and Lorraine Toussaint

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

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

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Nathan Lee Graham

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

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

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Rickey Tripp

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

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

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Kent Gash and Jelani Alladin

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Kristine Nielsen and Brent Langdon

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

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

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Jason Hackett and Public Theater Associate Artistic Director/Director of Public Theater Productions Mandy Hackett

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Rita Pietropinto Kitt and Tom Kitt

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

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Christian Konopka and Suzan-Lori Parks

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Nicole Lewis

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Nicole Lewis

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

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

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Brandon E. Burton

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

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

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

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

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Jocelyn Bioh, Saheem Ali and cast

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Jocelyn Bioh

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

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

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

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

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

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Pascale Armand

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Susan Kelechi Watson, Pascale Armand and cast

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Abena and cast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Playwright Jocelyn Bioh and Director Saheem Ali

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Jocelyn Bioh

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Jocelyn Bioh

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Daryl Beck and Saheem Ali

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Kylie Brown, Oskar Eustis and Laurie Eustis

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Eisa Davis

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Mimi Bilinski and Beowulf Boritt

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Anise Dorsey and Eisa Davis

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

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

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

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Phillip James Brannon

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Kyle Scatliffe

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

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

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

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

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

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Jennifer Mogbock

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Oskar Eustis and Saheem Ali

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Pascale Armand

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Pascale Armand

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Abena, Jarvis D. Matthews, Shola Adewusi, Mayaa Boateng,Branden Lindsay and Gbenga Akinnagbe

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Jarvis D. Matthews

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Jarvis D. Matthews

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Mayaa Boateng, Shola Adewusi and Abena

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Mayaa Boateng

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

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

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

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

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Kyle Scatliffe, Jacob Ming-Trent, Gbenga Akinnagbe and Julian Rozzell Jr.

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Abena

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Abena

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Julian Rozzell Jr.

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Julian Rozzell Jr.

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

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

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

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Angela Grovey

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Angela Grovey

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

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

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

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




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