Joseph Papp and The Public Theater

The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette Street was founded and developed by producer Joseph Papp (established as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954) to support new American plays and free Shakespeare in the Park. Papp created the Delacorte Theater's Shakespeare in the Park series and championed accessible, experimental theater in New York City. The Public has premiered landmark works such as Hair and A Chorus Line and continues to operate as a major off-Broadway producing institution. Papp's leadership and the theater's origins are documented in theater histories and institutional records.