New York Classical Theatre

New York Classical Theatre's mission is to create and reinvigorate audiences for the theatre by presenting all-free productions of popular classics and forgotten masterpieces in public spaces throughout New York City. Since 2000, NY Classical has presented over 800 free performances for more than 275,000 New Yorkers. We produce extensively in non-traditional settings: outdoors, our Panoramic Theatre productions put audiences in the center of the action in varying locations throughout Central Park, Carl Schurz Park, Brooklyn Commons, and The Battery as we involve each of our landscaped venues to build an immersive experience. Indoors, our New Visions play development program hosts today’s historically under-represented writers reimagining source material from the past in approachable local landmarks like Brookfield Place, Fort Greene’s South Oxford Space, and the Tata Innovation Center on Roosevelt Island. Each season, both programs draw thousands to places they may not have visited before, for emotionally and intellectually stimulating professional Off-Broadway performances. Theatre journalist and performing arts critic Jose Solís said our 2019 interpretation of “The Importance of Being Earnest” was “absolutely enchanting, hilarious, and illuminate[d] Wilde’s text in refreshing ways.” Rodney Hakim, producer of the New York Shakespeare awards, nominated our 2021 “King Lear” as one of the year’s Most Memorable Dramas. Our “Season In Review” annual reports are available at https://nyclassical.org/annual-reports.