Richard II, As You Like It Set for 2020 Shakespeare in the Park Season

The 2020 season of the Public Theater's free Shakespeare in the Park will include Richard II and a musical version of As You Like It.

Saheem Ali will direct Richard II, running May 19-June 21. It marks the first time that the rarely seen verse drama will appear at the Delacorte Theater in over three decades. The Public describes the work as follows: "When King Richard banishes his cousin Henry Bolingbroke and deprives him of his inheritance, he unwittingly creates an enemy who will ultimately force him from the throne. One of the Bard's only dramas entirely in verse, this epic and intimate play presents the end of the Medieval Age and the rise of the house of Lancaster through a riveting tale of lost sovereignty, political intrigue, and psychological complexity."

Running July 14-August 8, the Delacorte will house a full run of Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery's Public Works As You Like It musical, which briefly ran in 2017. With a score by Taub, the production will be directed by Woolery and choreographed by Sonya Tayeh. Taub will reprise her performances as Jaques, alongside original cast members Darius de Haas (Duke Senior) and Joél Pérez (Touchstone). They will be joined by two rotating ensembles of community members from all five boroughs.

Complete casting will be announced at a later date.