Farai Malianga

Experience Shakespeare’s comedic masterpiece from the Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park. Set in South Harlem, the play tells the story of the trickster Falstaff and the wily wives who outwit him in a celebration of Black joy, laughter and vitality.

For generations, the Public Theater has been the beating heart of New York City’s cultural scene. And now, as New York City staggers back after a deadly pandemic, the Public Theater is once again in the spotlight with a new all-black production of Merry Wives - bringing back Free Shakespeare in the Park after Covid shut it down for the first time in its 67-year history. This documentary chronicles the behind-the-scenes story of the Public Theater as it returns to the stage, and shows New Yorkers and the world that despite everything, art and artists will always survive and indeed thrive.