The Public Theater has announced the full casting for its upcoming Free Shakespeare in the Park production of The Winter’s Tale. Performances are scheduled to run from Saturday, July 25 through Saturday, August 22 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. An official press opening is set for Tuesday, August 11.
Veteran director Daniel Sullivan is returning to the Delacorte Theater to helm the production. This project marks his 12th time directing for Free Shakespeare in the Park. Choreographer and associate director Mimi Lieber is also joining the creative team, marking her sixth collaboration with Sullivan at this specific outdoor venue.
The complete cast includes Raúl Esparza as Leontes and Lily Rabe as Hermione, alongside Isabela Ferrer as Perdita and Daniel Kyri as Florizel. Additional company members feature Teagle F. Bougere as Camillo, Chuck Cooper as Old Shepherd, Gilbert Owuor as Polixenes, Matthew Eby as Mamillius/Time/Ensemble, and Steven Skybell as Antigonus/Autolycus. The ensemble and musical team are rounded out by Heschel Bay, Peter Douskalis, Katie Griffith, Alex Hernandez, Michael Khalid Karadsheh, Denise Kolodja, Aubie Merrylees, Jennifer Mogbock, Violeta Picayo, Bianca Rogoff, Matthew Russell, Michael Thanh Tran, and Jackson Whitman.
The design team consists of scenic designer Maruti Evans, costume designer Linda Cho, sound designer Brian Ronan, and composer Tom Kitt. Hair and wig design is managed by Tom Watson, sound system design by Mike Tracey, puppet design by James Ortiz, and prop management by Rachel Kenner. The stage management team includes production stage manager Caroline Englander alongside stage managers Jessie Moore and Luisa Sánchez Colón.
This production represents the fifth time The Winter’s Tale has been presented at the Delacorte Theater since the venue was built in 1962. Previous iterations of the play were staged in 1963, 1989, 2000, and most recently in 2010. The Jerome L. Greene Foundation serves as the lead sponsor for the production, while Citizens is participating as the presenting partner.
The upcoming performances follow a major reconstruction of the Delacorte Theater, which originally broke ground in October 2023 and reopened in the summer of 2025. The revitalization project included upgrades to the interior spaces, a redesigned grandstand layout, new lighting towers, a wood façade made from salvaged water towers, and renovated restrooms. The upgrades were completed in partnership with the Central Park Conservancy, NYC Parks, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Ennead Architects.
Performances are scheduled weekly from Tuesday through Sunday at 8:00 p.m. Accessible show options include an audio-described performance on Saturday, August 15, English open captioning on Wednesday, August 19, Spanish open captioning on Thursday, August 20, and American Sign Language interpretation on Friday, August 21. Free tickets will be distributed on the day of performances in person at the theater, through specific borough distribution sites including select Citizens branches, via an in-person lottery at The Public Theater lobby, or through a digital lottery on the TodayTix app.
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