Central Park's Winter's Tale: A glorious, chaotic triumph

A lush, messy three-and-a-half-hour Free Shakespeare in the Park production of The Winter's Tale at the Delacorte, directed by Daniel Sullivan, anchors on radiant performances by Raúl Esparza and Lily Rabe with Marsha Stephanie Blake as the standout Paulina. The show condenses five acts into two, navigating jealousy, time jumps, a living statue, and other wild turns to deliver a cohesive, human, and utterly entertaining summer spectacle under the stars.