On September 6 the Public Theater celebrated Central Park's Delacorte Theater as it prepares to go dark until 2025 for extensive refurbishment. Tony-winning hip-hop, improv, musical comedy group Freestyle Love Supreme—conceived by Anthony Veneziale and created by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Veneziale—was on hand to celebrate the venue's six decade-long history and upcoming new beginnings.
See photos from the special one-night-only event, titled A Brief Intermission, below.
MaYaa Boateng
MaYaa Boateng
Reneé Elise Goldsberry
Reneé Elise Goldsberry
Rebecca Naomi Jones, Laurie Woolery, and Reneé Elise Goldsberry
Rebecca Naomi Jones, Laurie Woolery, and Reneé Elise Goldsberry
Eisa Davis
Eisa Davis
Richard Topol and Eliza Foss
Richard Topol and Eliza Foss
Rebecca Naomi Jones
Rebecca Naomi Jones
Laurie Woolery and Jo Lampert
Laurie Woolery and Jo Lampert
Laurie Woolery and Jo Lampert
Jo Lampert and Marin Ireland
Mitchell Winter
Jo Lampert and Marin Ireland
Mitchell Winter
Francois Battiste and Toussaint Battiste
Brian Stokes Mitchell and Allyson Tucker
Francois Battiste and Toussaint Battiste
Brian Stokes Mitchell and Allyson Tucker
Mark Brokaw
Mark Brokaw
Brandon Pearson
Brandon Pearson
Brenda Braxton
Brenda Braxton
Tyrone Mitchell Henderson
Tyrone Mitchell Henderson
Laughton Royce
Laughton Royce
Ato Blankson-Wood
Ato Blankson-Wood
David Pittu
David Pittu
David Pittu and Stark Sands
David Pittu and Stark Sands
Heather Lind and Federico Rodriguez
Heather Lind and Federico Rodriguez
Heather Lind
Heather Lind
David Ryan Smith and Natalie Woolams-Torres
David Ryan Smith and Natalie Woolams-Torres
Miriam Silverman
Miriam Silverman
Enid Graham and son
Enid Graham and son
Susan Hilferty and husband, David
Susan Hilferty and husband, David
Patrick Page
Patrick Page
Andrew Kober
Andrew Kober
Rita Wolf and Sanjit De Silva
Rita Wolf and Sanjit De Silva
Annie Golden
Annie Golden
Anthony Hollock and Annie Golden
Anthony Hollock
Anthony Hollock
Margaret Odette
Margaret Odette
Gloria Reuben
Gloria Reuben
Mark William
Mark William
Nikki M. James
Nikki M. James
Stark Sands
Stark Sands
Anthony Chatmon II
Anthony Chatmon II
Joel Perez
Joel Perez
Donna Murphy and Lance Roberts
Donna Murphy and Lance Roberts
Utkarsh Ambudkar and Suresh V. Ambudkar
Utkarsh Ambudkar and Suresh V. Ambudkar
Utkarsh Ambudkar, Indu Ambudkar, and Suresh V. Ambudkar
Utkarsh Ambudkar, Indu Ambudkar, and Suresh V. Ambudkar
Sam Waterston
Sam Waterston
Erik Bottcher and James Reginato
Erik Bottcher and James Reginato
Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden
Bill Heck and Maggie Lacey
Bill Heck and Maggie Lacey
Donna Murphy
Donna Murphy
Aneesa Folds and Kaila Mullady
Aneesa Folds and Kaila Mullady
Andrew Bancroft
Andrew Bancroft
Andrew Bancroft
Chris Sullivan, Andrew Bancroft, and Anthony Veneziale
Chris Sullivan, Andrew Bancroft, and Anthony Veneziale
Chris Sullivan, Andrew Bancroft, and Anthony Veneziale
Andrew Bancroft
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Anthony Veneziale and guest
Anthony Veneziale and guest
Freestyle Love Supreme
Freestyle Love Supreme
Mai-Linh Lofgren and Michael Stuhlbarg
Danai Gurira
Mai-Linh Lofgren and Michael Stuhlbarg
Danai Gurira
Ruben Santiago-Hudson and Lily Santiago
Ruben Santiago-Hudson and Lily Santiago
Katheryne Penny and Theo Stockman
Katheryne Penny and Theo Stockman
Theo Stockman
Theo Stockman
Luis A. Miranda Jr.
Luis A. Miranda Jr.
Gail Papp and Oskar Eustis
Gail Papp and Oskar Eustis
Patrick Willingham, Luis A. Miranda Jr., Gail Papp, and Oskar Eustis
Patrick Willingham, Luis A. Miranda Jr., Gail Papp, and Oskar Eustis
John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Creators Miranda and Veneziale, Tony nominee Christopher Jackson, and more were part of the evening, and the Freestyle Love Supreme line-up included Utkarsh Ambudkar aka UTK the INC, Andrew Bancroft aka Jelly Donut, Richard Baskin aka Rich Midway, Aneesa Folds aka Young Nees, James Monroe Iglehart aka J-Soul, Kaila Mullady aka Kaiser Rözé, Bill Sherman aka King Sherman, and Chris Sullivan aka Shockwave.
“The artists and supporters who make up The Public Theater community are gathering to celebrate 61 years of Free Shakespeare in the Park and to mark the brief intermission while we renovate The Delacorte into an even more beautiful version of itself. The theatre we will return to in the summer of 2025 will be more modern, more welcoming, and completely accessible for audiences, staff, and artists,” said Public Theater Artistic Director Oskar Eustis in an earlier statement. “This night is about celebrating—greeting long-time friends and colleagues, remembering the electric nights in the park we've shared together, and letting the hilarious and humanistic Freestyle Love Supreme remind us of what live performance can do that nothing else can. A night of wonder, a night of joy, a night when we affirm the civic ritual that is Free Shakespeare in the Park. It is at the center of what makes New York City great.”
Proceeds help support The Public’s revitalization of The Delacorte and the organization’s mission of providing a home for artists who give voice to the issues of our time.
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