Performances of Merry Wives Canceled After Production Member Tests Positive for Covid-19

The Public Theater has canceled two performances of Merry Wives at the Delacorte Theater after learning that a member of the production has tested positive for Covid-19.

In a statement, the Public said that the cast, crew, and staff of the free Shakespeare in the Park production "participate in rigorous testing and daily health and safety protocols to ensure everyone's safety." With that in mind, performances July 21 and 22 were canceled, "to ensure the continued health and safety of the entire cast, crew, and staff and to move forward with contact tracing and further testing that's needed." Further details will be announced in the coming days, and the theater did not specify in which department the person with the positive case works.

Adapted by Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Saheem Ali, the production features Abena (Anne Page), Shola Adewusi (Mama Quickly), Gbenga Akinnagbe (Mister Nduka Ford), Pascale Armand (Madam Ekua Page), MaYaa Boateng (Fenton/Simple), Phillip James Brannon (Pastor Evans), Brandon E. Burton (Ensemble), Joshua Echebiri (Slender/Pistol), Branden Lindsay (Ensemble), Ebony Marshall-Oliver (Ensemble), Jarvis D. Matthews (Ensemble), Jacob Ming-Trent (Falstaff), Jennifer Mogbock (Ensemble), Julian Rozzell Jr. (Shallow), Kyle Scatliffe (Mister Kwame Page), David Ryan Smith (Doctor Caius), and Susan Kelechi Watson (Madam Nkechi Ford).

Set in South Harlem, amidst a vibrant and eclectic community of West African immigrants, Merry Wives is a New York story about tricks of the heart, performed in the heart of the City—Central Park's magical Delacorte Theater. A raucous spinoff featuring the Bard's most beloved comic characters, this hilarious farce tells the story of the trickster Falstaff and the wily wives who outwit him in a new celebration of Black joy, laughter, and vitality.