In the last three months since I arrived in New York to study American drama with a grant from the Asian Cultural Council, a U.S. nonprofit dedicated to international cultural exchange, I have been to the theater more than 70 times — including at least a dozen visits to somewhere that's been a truly sparkling discovery: The Public Theater in the NoHo district of downtown Manhattan.

The Public, as it's known, occupies the very grand brick-and-stone former Astor Library that opened in 1854 as a free public facility. Since the theater debuted there in 1967 with the world premiere of the musical "Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical" — its mission has been to embrace the complexities of contemporary society.

Every day, its five performance spaces, ranging in audience capacity from 99 to 299, play host to a tremendous diversity of works — from classics to new productions, musicals, and more. Every time I climb the stairs and step into the lobby, I feel in my bones the expectant energy of all those people lining up for hours for standby tickets, or waiting for the doors to open.