The outdoor events that carry us through the still bright evenings of summer are back and arguably better than ever. With last year's hiatus on anything fun, we are ready for a warm welcome for, well, any event that's not happening through a screen within the walls of our own homes.
The promotional campaign for this year's festival of free performances presented by The Public Theater in Central Park, designed by Paula Scher and the Pentagram team, is tapping into the pure cheeriness that we're all feeling over 2021 and the summer to be. This is Pentagram's 26th season designing for Shakespeare in the Park, and, excitingly, the first year that the designs will get fully animated on digital kiosks throughout the streets of Manhattan.
Merry Wives is a comic adaptation of Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor by Jocelyn Bioh that features an all-Black cast, and the posters ooze with wonder, wit, charm, and quirkiness through the playful typography and vivid colors seen throughout the design. As is the tradition for the client, the design changes in how they utilize the official typeface of the Public Theater’s identity—Knockout—and this year’s version of the reworked font features skinny arms and legs.
If this campaign doesn't inspire you to make the most of every moment of this summer, I'm not sure what will. Live a little, have some fun, and watch some Shakespeare in the Park.
