

The Prince of Denmark hits Central Park with a vengeance—and a 9.5 rating with 2 votes is basically unanimous.
From The Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, experience this Shakespearean classic directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon featuring Tony Award nominee Ato Blankson-Wood (“Slave Play”) in the title role and Solea Pfeiffer as Ophelia (“Hadestown”).
Acting
Blankson-Wood's Hamlet—volatile, modern, unforgettable.
Direction
Kenny Leon makes Central Park feel like Elsinore's haunted backyard.
Production
Free Shakespeare in the Park: democracy and tragedy, served fresh.
Director
Kenny Leon
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Free Shakespeare in the Park has been a New York institution since 1962; this 2024 production deliberately cast Black actors in traditionally white roles without comment, letting the text absorb the tension.
Solea Pfeiffer was still performing in Hadestown on Broadway while rehearsing Ophelia—she basically lived in two doomed love stories simultaneously.