Delacorte Theater, Central Park

Each summer, at Delacorte Theater in Central Park, Shakespeare’s plays are performed in the same open–air splendor for which they were intended. These free performances are produced by Joseph Papp’s Public Theater, with one or two productions held each year. The casts of skilled Shakespearean actors usually feature stars from film, theater, and television. Tickets (only two per person) are given out in the afternoon on the day of the performance. It’s one of the cheapest, classiest dates in the city.