After years of neglect, Delacorte Theater — the outdoor stage where America’s beloved free Shakespeare in the Park tradition began over 60 years ago — has reopened in New York City’s Central Park with a star-studded production of Twelfth Night. It follows a nearly two-year, $85 million renovation that adds permanent wheelchair access and upgraded backstage facilities. Designed by Ennead Architects, it also features reclaimed redwood from decommissioned city water towers.

The revamp comes at a precarious moment for public theater nationwide as arts organizations lose out on critical federal grants amid spending cuts by the Trump administration. Smaller groups in particular risk closing. But Delacorte’s revival, funded in part by private donations, offers an example of what sustained investment can achieve, Rthvika Suvarna writes. Today on CityLab: A New Stage for the Theater that Gave America Shakespeare in the Park

— Arvelisse Bonilla Ramos

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