Free Shakespeare in the Park is a New York summer tradition. Tickets are distributed in the afternoon, on a first come first served basis to those who waited in line between 2 and 8 hours. That’s a long time. Friends and I would pack a picnic lunch to eat while waiting. We brought something to drink, cheese, bread, coleslaw, fruit and cookies. The coleslaw represented the quintessential picnic food. It was always worth the wait to see the plays.