YOUR 25/26 SEASON
"America's great strength comes from the many unique and diverse voices that make up our beloved country." (Artistic Director Oskar Eustis)
We are proud to have such an expansive community of artists participating in the 25/26 season. From playwrights returning to The Public like Ethan Lipton, Jordan E. Cooper, and John Leguizamo, to Else Went making her off-Broadway debut, to some of New York theater's greatest actors Celia Keenan-Bolger, Ruthie Ann Miles, Tony Shalhoub, and more, this upcoming season embodies The Public's founding vision of theater that is accessible, relevant, and representative of our nation's rich cultural tapestry.
“We firmly believe the quality of our work is inextricable from the diversity of voices and perspectives represented on and off our stages, and this upcoming season is a testament to that foundation.” (Executive Director Patrick Willingham)
Don’t miss a new season as vibrant as New York City itself and as fearless as the American spirit.
FALL 25
North American Premiere
By John Leguizamo
Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson
In Association with Arena Stage
Emmy Award winner John Leguizamo is Nelson Castro, a Colombian-American laundromat owner in Queens grappling with a failing business and buried secrets in his new play THE OTHER AMERICANS. When his son Nick returns from a mental wellness facility after a traumatic incident, Nelson's world unravels. Committed to protecting his family and business, he tackles racial and identity challenges to achieve his dream, proving his success. Nelson must navigate morality's murky waters to salvage his future. Will he emerge victorious, or will his past consume everything he holds dear? Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson directs this gripping tale of resilience.
New York Premiere
By Jordan E. Cooper
Original Songs by Donald Lawrence
Directed by Stevie Walker-Webb
Presented in Association with Baltimore Center Stage
An impending flood is the least of the Johnson family’s troubles in this outrageous reimagining of Noah’s Ark from Tony Award-nominated writer and director duo Jordan E. Cooper and Stevie Walker-Webb. OH HAPPY DAY! begins in Laurel, MS, at a birthday BBQ for Lewis, the patriarch of the family. Shortly after his estranged son Keyshawn (played by Cooper) makes a surprise appearance, absurdity ensues on a day that will change their world forever. Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Donald Lawrence writes original songs for this biting new play about confronting the divine.
New York Premiere
Written and Performed by Zoë Kim
Directed by Chris Yejin
Ma-Yi Theater Company in Residence
DID YOU EAT? (밥 먹었니?) is Zoë Kim’s autobiographical journey through love’s many forms–how it’s learned, given, and reflected inward. In a nimble and tender solo performance, Zoë shapeshifts into the souls of her family through a landscape of memories where tears and laughter collide. It’s not just a story, but a reckoning—weaving through the textured threads of Korean/American identity, belonging, and healing. DID YOU EAT? (밥 먹었니?) is a poetic love letter to the inner child, and hopefully yours too. Directed by Chris Yejin.
World Premiere
Adaptation, Music, and Lyrics by Ethan Lipton
Based Upon the Play The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder
Choreography by Sunny Min-Sook Hitt
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Obie Award-winning playwright and songwriter Ethan Lipton brings his irreverently funny new musical THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS to The Public this fall. A rollicking adaptation of Thorton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, this new musical about age-old problems tells the twisting, often absurd story of the Antrobus family, who have been alive for 5,000 years but live in the same existential dread as the rest of us. Mired in the hot mess of their everyday worries, the Antrobuses survive all manner of catastrophes in an endless quest to begin again, and again, and again. Choreographed by Sunny Min-Sook Hitt and directed by two-time Tony nominee Leigh Silverman, this bracingly original spectacle is a musical reminder that surviving is what we do best.
World Premiere
By Else Went
Directed by Emma Rosa Went
Playwright Else Went, alumnus of The Public’s acclaimed Emerging Writers Group, brings her transformative new play INITIATIVE to The Public this fall. A bittersweet reflection on adolescence at the dawn of the new millennium, INITIATIVE charts the intertwined lives of seven teens from 2000-2004, as they become friends and more than friends, wrestle with their potential, face incalculable loss, and struggle to find their way in (and get out of) “Coastal Podunk, California.” Emma Rosa Went directs this epic world premiere guaranteed to make you remember the most difficult and beautiful things about growing up.
WINTER/SPRING 26
Created by Elevator Repair Service
Text: Ulysses by James Joyce
Co-Direction and Dramaturgy by Scott Shepherd
Directed by John Collins
January 2026
Following last fall’s sold-out encore of Gatz—“The most remarkable achievement in theater of the decade” (New York Times)—Elevator Repair Service (ERS) takes on the Mount Everest of twentieth-century literature. James Joyce’s ULYSSES has fascinated, perplexed, scandalized, and/or defeated readers for over a century. In this New York City premiere, seven performers sit down for a sober reading but soon find themselves guzzling pints, getting in brawls, and committing debaucheries as they careen on a fast-forward tour through Joyce’s funhouse of styles. With humor, pathos, and a richly layered design, ERS stitches together verbatim passages from Joyce’s epic masterpiece into a two-and-a-half-hour tour de force.
World Premiere
By Anna Ziegler
Directed by Tyne Rafaeli
Winter/Spring 2026
A riveting take on Sophocles’ classic, ANTIGONE (THIS PLAY I READ IN HIGH SCHOOL) reimagines the story of Oedipus’ daughter Antigone through a bold new lens. Written by award-winning playwright Anna Ziegler, this lyrical epic follows a fiercely independent young woman determined to control her own body in a kingdom ruled by archaic laws that regulate women’s autonomy. Incisively witty and breathtakingly intelligent, ANTIGONE (THIS PLAY I READ IN HIGH SCHOOL) paints a world that is both modern and ancient; a world of lost leaders, hapless cops, and one very righteous daughter on an all-night bender. Drama Desk Award nominee Tyne Rafaeli directs this daring new work about the timeless quest to find your voice.
ANTIGONE (THIS PLAY I READ IN HIGH SCHOOL) will feature Celia Keenan-Bolger (Chorus) and Tony Shalhoub (Creon). Additional casting will be announced at a later date.
World Premiere
By Julissa Reynoso and Michael J. Chepiga
Directed by Doug Hughes
Winter/Spring 2026
In 1982, seven-year-old Julissa immigrates to the U.S from the Dominican Republic. In 2009, she leaves her successful practice at a Wall Street law firm to supervise Caribbean and Central American Affairs for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. PUBLIC CHARGE chronicles the challenging education of a twenty-first-century American diplomat as she works with scores of other dedicated public servants to deploy humanitarian aid to an earthquake-ravaged Haiti, navigate the roiling politics of immigration, confront the reality of international espionage, and free a wrongly imprisoned American from a Cuban prison. This bracing world premiere by former United States Ambassador Julissa Reynoso and award-winning playwright Michael J. Chepiga is, at its core, about a group of Americans who believe, sometimes against all appearances to the contrary, that their government might actually be a force for good upon the frighteningly chaotic world stage. Tony Award winner Doug Hughes directs this first-hand account of the principled use of power and the enormous potential of keen intelligence, hard work, and good will, to bridge seemingly irreconcilable conflict.
World Premiere
By Jeena Yi
Directed by Mei Ann Teo
Ma-Yi Theater Company in Residence
Winter/Spring 2026
JESA by Jeena Yi, directed by Mei Ann Teo, is a riotous and heart-wrenching new play that explodes the idea of the “perfect family gathering.” When four estranged Korean American sisters reunite in Orange County to perform their father’s Jesa—a traditional ritual honoring the dead—old wounds erupt, secrets surface, and ghosts (literal and emotional) refuse to stay buried. With razor-sharp dialogue, explosive humor, and unexpected tenderness, JESA asks how we honor our ancestors when we can barely stand each other. Come for the sibling brawls and burning shrimp, stay for the aching truth of what binds us.
SHAKESPEARE FOR THE CITY
Mobile Unit is a modern reimagining of Joseph Papp’s Mobile Theater, inspired by Ten Thousand Things Theater in Minneapolis, MN. The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit breaks down economic and geographic barriers to the arts by meeting our communities where they are—staging free professional theater productions in local neighborhood venues such as libraries, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and community centers across all five New York City boroughs. Over the years, Mobile Unit has served thousands of audiences with critically acclaimed productions.
In Summer 2026, Mobile Unit returns to tour the city with free performances of a Shakespeare play across the five boroughs.
Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park is one of the cornerstones of The Public Theater’s mission. Since its inception, over six million people have enjoyed more than 160 free productions of Shakespeare and other classical works and musicals at The Delacorte Theater. Conceived by founder Joseph Papp to make great theater accessible to all, Free Shakespeare in the Park continues to be the bedrock of The Public’s vision of artistic excellence and free access to culture.
PUBLIC WORKS, a major artistic program of the Public Theater, aims to restore and build community by connecting people through the creation of extraordinary works of art. Public Works is animated by the idea that theater is a place of possibility, where the boundaries that separate us from each other in the rest of life can fall away. Working with partner organizations in all five boroughs, Public Works invites community members to take classes, participate in programming, attend performances, and join in the creation of ambitious works of participatory theater.
Summer 25 and Beyond
Twelfth Night
To reopen The Delacorte Theater
Free Shakespeare in the Park 2025
TWELFTH NIGHT
Directed by Saheem Ali
Summer 2025
The Public Theater will celebrate the opening of the newly revitalized Delacorte Theater with a Free Shakespeare in the Park all-star cast of Public alumni in a production of TWELFTH NIGHT. Join us to revel in the midsummer madness as twins Sebastian and Viola survive shipwreck, revenge plots, and the trick doors of love. The Public’s Associate Artistic Director and Resident Director, Tony Award nominee Saheem Ali directs this joyful romp welcoming all of New York back to the magic of Central Park’s beloved theater. Be there when the stage lights turn on again at The Delacorte—a New York City classic—with this high-powered production of the Bard’s classic comedy.
Let's Keep Dancing: A Death Row Story
World Premiere Audio Play
By John Purugganan
Directed by Oskar Eustis
Incarcerated since 1989, John Purugganan is committed to reaching past the prison walls, becoming a tutor, mentor, and prolific writer. His audio play LET’S KEEP DANCING: A Death Row Story was a prizewinner in the first annual Arts in Corrections Playwriting Contest. Michael Green is 21 years old and has just arrived in the cell he’ll inhabit for the rest of his life. His neighbor, Hap Embleton, is 67 and has been imprisoned for most of his life. Artistic Director Oskar Eustis directs this compelling, world premiere audio play about two souls fighting to survive the row.
Initiative
Kicking off Fall 2025 season
World Premiere
By Else Went
Directed by Emma Rosa Went
Fall 2025
Playwright Else Went, alumnus of our acclaimed Emerging Writers Group, brings her transformative new play INITIATIVE to The Public in Fall 2025. A bittersweet reflection on adolescence at the dawn of the new millennium, INITIATIVE charts the intertwined lives of seven teens from 2000-2004, as they become friends and more than friends, wrestle with their potential, face incalculable loss, and struggle to find their way in (and get out of) “Coastal Podunk, California.” Emma Rosa Went directs this epic world premiere guaranteed to make you remember the most difficult and beautiful things about growing up.
The Seat of Our Pants
World Premiere Musical
Music & Lyrics by Ethan Lipton
Based Upon the Play The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder
Directed by Leigh Silverman
Fall 2025
Next fall, The Public’s Emerging Writers Group alumnus and Obie Award-winning playwright, songwriter, and singer Ethan Lipton brings his irreverently funny show THE SEAT OF OUR PANTS to The Public for its world premiere. A rollicking adaptation of Thornton Wilder’s The Skin of Our Teeth, this new musical about age-old problems tells the twisting, often absurd story of the Antrobus family who have been alive for 5,000 years but live in the same existential dread as the rest of us. Mired in the hot mess of being alive, the Antrobuses survive all manner of catastrophe in their endless quest to begin again, and again, and again. Two-time Tony Award nominee Leigh Silverman directs this bracingly original spectacle—a musical reminder that surviving is what we do best.
Programs
Joe's Pub
Celebrating its 26th Anniversary in October 2024, iconic music, comedy, and live performance venue Joe’s Pub continues the tradition with a season of dynamic nightly performances.
Free Shakespeare in the Park
at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park is one of the cornerstones of The Public Theater’s mission. Since 1962, over six million people have enjoyed more than 150 free productions of Shakespeare and other classical works and musicals.
The Delacorte Theater is under construction and undergoing its first major renovation in decade and will reopen in 2025. So, this summer, we're celebrating all things Free Shakespeare in the Park by bringing the show to you in your community and at home.
Mobile Unit
The Mobile Unit is a modern reimagining of Joseph Papp’s Mobile Theater, inspired by Ten Thousand Things Theater in Minneapolis, MN. The Public Theater’s Mobile Unit breaks down economic and geographic barriers to the arts by meeting our communities where they are—staging free professional theater productions in local neighborhood venues such as libraries, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and community centers across all five New York City boroughs. Over the years, Mobile Unit has served thousands of audiences with critically acclaimed productions.
Public Works
a major artistic program of the Public Theater, aims to restore and build community by connecting people through the creation of extraordinary works of art. Public Works is animated by the idea that theater is a place of possibility, where the boundaries that separate us from each other in the rest of life can fall away. Working with partner organizations in all five boroughs, Public Works invites community members to take classes, participate in programming, attend performances, and join in the creation of ambitious works of participatory theater.
Emerging Writers Group
is a program that provides key support and resources for writers at the early stages of their careers. Writers are selected bi-annually and receive a two-year fellowship facilitated by The Public’s New Work Development department. EWG meets twice a month for peer feedback on plays in progress as well as special sessions that connect the group to the wider landscape of New York City theater.
Thank you to our sponsors
To The Public Theater's community of funders, partners & supporters who make this work possible.
