AMERICAN SUBLIME: Stories from Elsewhere in III Acts is Coming to The Delacorte Theater

The Public Theater and Public Forum series curators Alexa Smith and Jeremy McCarter will present American Sublime: Stories from Elsewhere in III Acts on Monday, June 22 at 8:00 p.m. in The Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

An in-progress theatrical exploration inspired by artist Amy Sherald’s acclaimed body of work, originally exhibited as American Sublime at major U.S. museums, is now taking shape for the stage. The evening will feature live performances by Leland Fowler, The Harlem Chamber Players, Niles Luther, Alicia Hall Moran, Jurnee Smollett, and Anthony Wayne and an onstage conversation with Sherald and Tony Award-winning director Zhailon Levingston, reflecting on the creative process and the evolution of Sherald’s work for the stage.

“To experience American Sublime coming to life on the stage of The Delacorte Theater is deeply meaningful. American Sublime began somewhere between Big Fish and Alice in Wonderland, a space of dreaming, transformation, humor, and folklore. I'm looking forward to seeing it expand and inviting the audience into a shared encounter with figures who are simultaneously ordinary, mythic, and deeply human,” says creator Amy Sherald.

Public Theater Associate Artistic Director Alexa Smith shares, “Amy Sherald’s American Sublime was glorious in its museum expression, and we are thrilled to explore what happens when that vision is reimagined for The Delacorte. This evening embodies what Public Forum does best: creating space at the intersection of art and conversation to open new possibilities for how we understand art, identity, and one another.”

Creatively developed in association with National Black Theatre (Sade Lythcott, Chief Executive Officer; Jonathan McCrory, Executive Artistic Director) and featuring work by James Ijames, Raja Feather Kelly, Niles Luther, Jessie Montgomery, and Anna Deavere Smith. JamRock Productions is the Associate Producer of this event. Support for PUBLIC FORUM: AMERICAN SUBLIME is provided by The Hearthland Foundation.

Monday evenings, typically the night off from The Public’s Free Shakespeare in the Park performances, will now feature the revival of the PUBLIC FORUM series. The series will feature a distinctive mix of performance and conversation and a focus on American voices on this year’s 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Free tickets will be made available on each Public Forum date via the line at The Delacorte, evening Standby at The Delacorte, digital lottery with TodayTix, and an in-person lottery at The Public. For more information, visit publictheater.org.

PUBLIC FORUMS

CITIES UNDER SIEGE

June 29

The arrival of an estimated 3,000 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minnesota—dubbed Operation Metro Surge—began a period of significant civic unrest with far-reaching impact on public safety, law enforcement, the local economy and workforce, education, and the daily lives of Minnesotans. In January 2026, The Public Theater and The Guthrie Theater partnered to commission acclaimed documentary theater artists Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen to capture firsthand interviews, begin in-depth engagement with affected communities, and embark on the creation of a new play featuring Minnesotans’ real experiences. This special Forum evening will feature excerpts from this urgent work in progress and discussion around how cities and civilians respond in moments of crisis.

DIVISION AND RENEWAL: AN EVENING WITH MICHAEL SANDEL

August 10

American society has rarely been more polarized. How did we reach this moment of crisis, and what can any of us do to repair what has been broken? Michael Sandel, the Harvard professor and globally acclaimed “rock-star philosopher,” will return to The Delacorte Theater for a night of public philosophy, engaging an audience of New Yorkers in a spirited conversation about meritocracy, dignity, and where we go from here.

SUMMER BOOK CLUB CELEBRATION WITH THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

August 17

Calling all New Yorkers! As part of its annual Summer at the Library programming, The New York Public Library, in partnership with The Public Theater, invites New Yorkers to join a summer book club and read N.K. Jemisin’s The City We Became together. The book club will culminate in a marquee event at The Delacorte Theater featuring readings, commissioned performances, and public conversation inspired by and celebrating the book.

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