Central Park Theater Unveils New Design For 'Deteriorating' Venue

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Shakespeare in the Park is about to look a little different.

The Public Theater, in partnership with the Central Park Conservancy and NYC Parks, unveiled its plans Wednesday for a redesign of the 59-year-old Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

The proposal will now travel through a public engagement process with local community boards, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and other stakeholders.

"The theater has outlasted its current facility in almost every measurable way," reads a news release from the Public Theater. "The renovation of The Delacorte is not optional: the deteriorating structure is in dire need of rebuilding to provide upgraded and more comfortable conditions for staff, artists and audiences alike."

Here are a collection of the key proposed design change elements:

• Accessible and comfortable space for audiences and artists living with disabilities: Built before many of the modern accessibility codes, the existing Delacorte possesses only one access point for people living with disabilities and only one row of seating in the front row on house right. The proposed design will bring the whole theater in line with the current code, focusing on maximizing accessibility.
• Streamlined backstage operations and improved comfort for cast and crew: The new design improves inefficiencies across the theater which will decrease time needed for load in, load out and change between productions.
• Revitalized exterior for a more dynamic aesthetic experience: The theater’s exterior wall will be canted slightly outward to give The Delacorte a dynamic presence and movement. The textured wood façade plays with light and shadow, complementing the natural setting of trees and overhead foliage. The new covered canopy and widened bluestone pathway will welcome visitors, provide more generous circulation and increased shelter from rain and sun.
• A focus on resilience and sustainability: The existing decking has sustained significant damage that has caused numerous points of rebuild for each season.
• Lighting improvements: Newly designed lighting towers will provide improved lighting for the stage and performances, adding to the overall theatrical experience and ambiance.
• Improved sprinkler and fire alarm systems.
  
• Improved exterior and interior signage and wayfinding.

No renderings were provided for the expected changes to the inside of the theater.

There is also discussion to expand the comfort stations which serve as the theater's bathrooms, but those are not included in this particular design.

Plans to redesign and renovate the space were first announced in 2018. The Delacorte was built in 1962 and has only undergone a handful of smaller upgrades since 1999.

The theater redesign project is expected to cost $77 million, with $41 million contributed by the Mayor, City Council and Manhattan Borough President — and the rest by private donors.

Pending proper approvals, the work is expected to start in the fall of 2022.

“As our city’s cultural institutions rebound from their most challenging year on record, these crucial improvements to The Delacorte signify that New York is back and ready to meaningfully invest in our culturals once again,” Arielle Tepper, Public Theater Board Chair, said in a news release. “After nearly sixty years of providing free Shakespeare and performance art to countless residents and visitors to our city, this design will renew The Delacorte’s promise of delivering free artistic brilliance to diverse audiences for decades to come.”