O, what sweet sorrow to miss Shakespeare performed live. Fortunately, New Yorkers and visitors don't have to, thanks to The New York Shakespeare Festival, a cultural institution which does business as The Public Theater. The theatrical producer puts on classic plays, such as Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, as well as new plays and musicals. More than 250,000 people attend Public Theater performances each year. Its six stages include Delacorte Theater in Central Park (the site of free summer performances) and Joe's Pub, a venue for musicians, spoken-word artists, and solo performers. The Public Theater also caters to emerging writers and boasts an acting lab workshop that specializes in Shakespearean performance.