Magic Raven at the Bandshell + Tango under Shakespeare — Central Park stages, Jul 13–19

        Hi theater fans — no Delacorte this week, but the park’s smaller outdoor stages are alive: a family puppet company at the Bandshell, tango staged at the foot of the Shakespeare statue, and folk performance to close the week. All of it is free, and all of it lands in the cooler evening hours.

Weather this week
A heat wave peaks at 98°F on Wed 7/15 before easing into the low 90s and breaking with Saturday showers — but every performance this week is evening or weekend, so the heat mostly stays out of your way. Keep an eye on Saturday’s afternoon storm chance if you’re headed to the outdoor programming that day.

Tue Jul 14 — Magic Raven Theater Company at the Bandshell, 6 PM
The Magic Raven Theater Company presents “The Four Little…” at Bandshell Plaza — a family-facing outdoor puppet/theater piece, staged in the same historic spot that hosts the Naumburg concerts. A charming, low-key start to the week’s stage offerings, and free.

Fri Jul 17 — Salsa moves in at the Bandshell, 5 PM
Not a play, but a staged performance worth the trip: Carlos Konig’s salsa takes Bandshell Plaza at 5 PM — live musicians and social dancing, theatrical in its own right on a summer evening.

Sat Jul 18 — Tango at the Shakespeare Statue, 6 PM
The week’s most atmospheric bit of performance: tango staged at the Shakespeare statue plaza on Literary Walk, at 6 PM, under the Bard’s bronze gaze on the Mall. Dancers and musicians in the golden hour — go early to get a spot along the Walk, and check the sky, since afternoon showers are possible.

Sun Jul 19 — Central Park International Folkdancers, 11 AM
The folkdancers gather at King Jagiello Plaza (by the Turtle Pond) at 11 AM — traditional dance and live music, participatory rather than presentational, a warm performance-adjacent close to the week.

On view all week
The Arsenal Gallery’s “40 in Focus: SummerStage through the Lens of Photographer Jack Vartoogian” runs daily from 9 AM — four decades of performance photography from the SummerStage series. Air-conditioned, free, and a fine rainy-or-scorching-day companion to the live work.

A note on the season
Shakespeare in the Park’s Delacorte run isn’t on our calendar yet — when the season and its dates are confirmed, this email will lead with it. For now, the Bandshell and the Mall carry the week.

Quick recap

  Magic Raven Theater Company — Bandshell Plaza, Tue 6 PM (family puppet theater).
  Tango at the Shakespeare statue — Literary Walk, Sat 6 PM — the atmospheric pick.
  Salsa Fri 5 PM at the Bandshell; folkdancers Sun 11 AM at King Jagiello.
  Arsenal Gallery performance-photography exhibit, daily — cool and free.

Break a leg,
The Central Park Guide