Blending a behind-the-scenes history of New York City’s Public Theater with an affecting remembrance of her husband, Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Public/Private is Gail Merrifield Papp’s enthralling and heartfelt memoir of a legendary theatrical institution. Opening with the venue’s early days in the '60s and '70s, Papp describes the couple's 25-year association with The Public, which saw hundreds of productions staged, including Shakespeare in the Park, musicals such as Hair and A Chorus Line, and plays like For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf. The list of actors whose careers were launched at the Public includes James Earl Jones, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Colleen Dewhurst, Martin Sheen, Gloria Foster, George C. Scott, and Morgan Freeman, all of whom make appearances in the book’s many anecdotes.

Just as importantly, Papp gives a firsthand look at Joe's creative process. She highlights his ambition to create a producing home focused on original plays and musicals from new voices with nontraditional casting, which made The Public a haven for many of the leading lights of American popular culture. She traces the evolution of Shakespeare in the Park, from a modest festival limited to small venues around New York City to its current home in Central Park, where its productions have become an indelible feature of summer in the city. Recounting setbacks and frustrations alongside moments of passionate artistry and theatrical innovation, this is a remarkable account of how The Public Theater became a lasting beacon for social change—and of the man who made it happen.

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