Free Shakespeare in New York usually means a Delacorte lottery and a Central Park queue, and Shakespeare on the Rocks is the opposite: a company performing out on the Rockaway boardwalk at Beach 94th Street with the ocean right there and no ticket at all. The setting does something to the text, with surf and gulls folded into whatever is being staged. Bring a towel, take a spot on the boardwalk and stay for the sunset afterwards.
What to expect
The company performs in the open near Beach 94th Street, and the audience gathers on the boardwalk and the edges around it. Park productions like this are typically stripped back and played big so the words carry outdoors. People come and go throughout, and there is no ticket or assigned seating to worry about.
Good to know
- Take the A train toward Far Rockaway and change for the Rockaway Park shuttle, or ride the NYC Ferry Rockaway route in summer.
- The performance is permitted as a free public event, so just walk up and find a spot.
- Bring a towel or a low chair, since seating is whatever you carry in.
- Open-air sound competes with the surf, so standing or sitting close makes a real difference.
- The boardwalk itself is flat and step-free if sand is not an option for you.
- The Beach 97th Street concession stands are the closest food and drink.
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Common questions
Is this really free?
Yes. It is permitted as a free public performance on the Rockaway boardwalk, with no ticket and no reservation required.
Where should I stand or sit?
Close. Outdoor performances on an open beachfront lose sound quickly to wind and surf, so the nearer you are to the playing area the better.
How do I reach Beach 94th Street?
The A train to the Rockaway Park shuttle puts you within a short walk, and the NYC Ferry Rockaway route runs to the peninsula in summer.
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