NY Classical Theatre’s 25th Anniversary Season Will Feature Shakespeare’s Henry IV

William Shakespeare’s Henry IV will be the main production of the New York Classical Theatre’s 25th anniversary season. NY Classical, led by founding artistic director Stephen Burdman and literary director Matthieu Chapman, offers free performances to the public in NYC Parks.

Burdman will adapt and direct the two-hour conflation of Henry IV, Parts 1 & 2, to be performed in the company’s immersive panoramic style. The production will be staged in three New York City parks: Central Park (June 11-30), Carl Schurz Park (July 2-7), and Battery Park (July 9-14). Due to the renovation of the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Delacorte Theatre, NY Classical’s Henry IV will be the only Shakespeare staged in Central Park this summer.

Henry IV will feature artistic associates John Michalski as Sir John Falstaff and Ian Antal as Prince Hal. Additional casting will be announced soon.

New York Classical Theatre also announced the two finalists of their New Visions play development program, created to develop new plays by historically underrepresented playwrights that explore new ways of viewing the “classics.” The finalists, Lemuria by Bonnie Antosh and The Killing Fields by Anya Pearson, will receive one-week AEA workshops, with public performances, in the spring and fall of 2024, and off-Broadway NY Classical productions in future seasons. The semi-finalist plays were Hecuba by Amanda L. Andrei and Antíkoni by Beth Piatote.

The anniversary season will also include a 25th Anniversary Gala on May 7 at the Manhattan Penthouse.