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[title]Shakespeare in the Park’s latest Hamlet may have finished its run, but there’s one more production coming up this summer at Central Park’s outdoor Delacorte Theater: a large-scale musical adaptation of The Tempest, the Bard’s epic tale of a sorcerer exiled to an isolated isle. As with every show produced by the Public Theater’s communitarian Public Works division, its cast will include noted theater stars alongside dozens of nonprofessional performers from all five boroughs of New York City.
This version of The Tempest, which features music and lyrics by Benjamin Velez, is staged by Public Works director Laurie Woolery, and will run from August 27 through September 3. (Free tickets are distributed on each performance day as well as through a lottery on TodayTix.)
RECOMMENDED: How to get free Shakespeare in the Park tickets
While many of the key parts are played by seasoned actors—led by Hamilton’s Renée Elise Goldsberry in the central role of Prospero—the show also features a diverse array of 83 performers, ranging widely in age, who rehearse in the evenings after many of the adults are done with their full-time jobs. The result is a joyful celebration of inclusivity. “They understand what the community is about,” says Hunter College English professor Naomi Leimsider, a member of the ensemble. “It's a special thing to be a part of, no matter who you are.”
Time Out New York spoke with three of the community cast members—Leimsider (of Queens), recreation therapist Suzie Celis (of the Bronx) and Administrator Rajeeyah Finnie-Myers (of East Harlem)—about how they got involved in the show and what it’s like performing on the legendary Delacorte stage.
How did you get to be a part of the show?
Naomi Leimsider: I went to acting school when I was younger, and I did theater in college. My husband also did theater in college. He ran into a friend at a college reunion and she suggested he become involved. This was in 2018. He auditioned for Twelfth Night and he got into the ensemble.He would come home and say, “These are the most amazing people.” From that point on, we have been so excited and so thrilled to be embraced by this amazing community. My daughter, who is 9, has always been interested in dancing, singing and acting. She said she wanted to do it, too. To be with my daughter on the stage [last year] was so extraordinary. It will be again this year.
Rajeeyah Finnie-Myers: This is my second year in the show. My son, who is 11, has been in the show for four years and this is my 4-year-old daughter’s first year. The way that I came upon Public Works is my background in the arts. I’ve done some theater, I’ve done some dance, and in general have been connected to artists in New York City for quite a while. Public Works, for me, is the perfect expression of the kind of work that I do, where art is the kind of bridge across communities to get at some of the serious social issues that are happening in the world. I wanted my family to be a part of that. I just want to create memories with my kids and to be able to say they had a chance to meet people from all over from different walks of life and to work with them so closely. I don’t get a lot of opportunities for my kids to interact with different age groups in such a consistent and intimate way.
Suzie Celis: My 15-year-old daughter encouraged me to audition. I said yes because I wanted to create memories with her. I don’t have any background in theater, but I worked in a nursing home my whole life. I’m a recreation therapist, and I engage residents to do positive things. I did a lot of skits and shows with them. I was the director, the producer, the designer, everything for every show. I knew about the Public Theater for many years; through the nursing home, I used to take the patients to see the shows. But I never thought one day I would be on the stage! That is kind of how life goes.
What's it like to perform at the Delacorte?
Leimsider: It’s the biggest stage I've ever been on. I was so nervous. It’s been a long time since I have been on the stage. The first couple of shows, I was a little bit nervous beforehand. But we had each other and we had the entire community. Everybody works together; everybody holds each other up.
Finnie-Myers: I have not performed professionally in a long, long time. So this is also special for me to get to be around people who do this all the time, as well as people who it's new for. I don't feel nervous about the big stage. It is probably the biggest stage I've been on. But I feel very excited to have that shared experience with my children. I think it is exactly why I chose to be in New York City.
Celis: Last year was my first time. I couldn't believe seeing the amount of people watching the show every night. Everybody asked me if I was nervous, but I wasn't nervous at all. I don't know how to explain that, but it was amazing. What I'm looking forward to this year is the same thing: great memories with my daughter, and also being on stage with famous people like Renée Elise Goldsberry and Joel Perez.
What is it like performing among stars like Renée Elise Goldberry?
Finnie-Myers: The people who are involved with Public Works always come ready to engage with us and be down to earth. They are so friendly, so open, so giving. My 11-year-old knows Renée because he’s a fan of Hamilton. They don't make us feel like they're any different from us. It always feels like they're just as much a part of the community as everyone else.
Celis: They treat us so nicely. They are so humble.
Leimsider: They are not separate. We all work together. After a little while you forget—especially with someone like Renée. I'm such a fan. She's so nice and she's a mom. Our children are around the same age, and my daughter grew up watching clips of Hamilton.
Are her kids in the show, too?
Leimsider: Yeah! The first conversation I had with her was, “What's it like working with your family?” Before I knew it, I was just chatting with her like I would chat with any mom.
