Hamlet Cancels Saturday Matinees

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 4:23pm

What's up with the Public Theatre that they sell tickets to shows and then figure out the actors can't handle the physical demands of the show?  I mean, they've only been doing Shakespeare for 50 years.  And scores of theaters do Hamlet.  What's so difficult about this one?

 

http://www.playbill.com/article/public-theaters-hamlet-starring-oscar-isaac-cancels-saturday-matinee-performances

[raddersons]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 4:41pm

It's not your conventional Hamlet -- Eight actors tackle the whole play, switching parts and characters throughout for four hours, with only two 10 minute intermissions. Many of them are on stage for most of the performance, if not speaking then sitting watching in the back. Definitely physically and emotionally draining for a two-show day... but they should have known that from the get-go. Stinks because the show is sold out, so if people had tickets on one of those days, they are S.O.L.

Updated On: 8/3/17 at 04:41 PM

[chuckydisc]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 5:24pm

raddersons said: "Stinks because the show is sold out, so if people had tickets on one of those days, they are S.O.L."

They should, at the very least, extend the show as many performances as they are cancelling and give the affected customers first rights to their exact seats.

 

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 8:47pm

I find this quite absurd. The London company managed. I saw them on the second performance of a 2-show day and they were all astonishing. (And, not that it's necessary, Andrew Scott stayed and signed for at least a hundred people, and posed for photos with everyone. Two shows. One day. Still did it.)

It's a sold out run, so because they're tired, those of us with tickets won't get to see it. A real dedication to story-telling... 

I was very much looking forward to it. But now I'm not even going to bother trying. If they're that tired, I'm not interested. 

Meh. I'd love to know who the REAL cuplrits of this are... Is it Oscar Isaac?

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 8:52pm

Juliet Stevenson weighed in for me... https://twitter.com/Juliet945600/status/893256466643210240

(There's no check mark, but yes, that's really her, as we've met in person as arranged via a DM.) 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 9:32pm

Come on, guys. Two four hour shows is an eight hour work day, which as we know is way above what Americans typically work.

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 9:47pm

its Oscar, they almost cancelled last wednesday nights show because by the end of tuesday evening he could barely speak.

[LadyStardust]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 9:49pm

God I'm just so pissed about this. There are some resell tickets available for other performances through third parties but they're hundreds of dollars more and the Public will probably end up cancelling more shows anyway. 

[Tapdance2]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 9:53pm

It's a very demanding show & Oscar in particular has a difficult part, he actually started to lose his voice when I saw it last week. Pretty rough for the people who have tickets, he was really outstanding 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 10:13pm

I thought he was awful. He screams the entire show so no wonder he loses his voice. He’s desperate to make something happen because the performance is devoid of any depth and he can feel it so he screams in an attempt to emote something, anything. Be glad if your tix got cancelled.

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 10:20pm

It's a real dick move to cancel a number of performances out of the blue and not add any replacement shows to the calendar. But hey, the Public does what it wants. 

[BakerWilliams]

Posted: 8/3/17 at 10:50pm

The Public is the Comcast of off-Broadway theatre. Terrible website, crazy expensive, impossible customer service, a haughty attitude that boarders on contempt for paying audiences, and so much money that they could not care less what you think.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 8:46am

This is yet another disappointment in a string of bad experiences at the Public. The work ethic (or lack thereof) is pathetic. And the Public simply canceling the performances without any attempt to make it up to those of us who had tickets is just another example of how little they care about their customers. 
 

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 9:19am

Maybe somebody can clarify their other "screw you" to patrons.  I had heard that they had two types of subscribers and that one set of subscribers would get screwed out of seat selections due to the Public having to make seats available for NYCID holders.  Maybe someone can explain that.

[haterobics]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 9:40am

Gothampc said: "Maybe somebody can clarify their other "screw you" to patrons.  I had heard that they had two types of subscribers and that one set of subscribers would get screwed out of seat selections due to the Public having to make seats available for NYCID holders.  Maybe someone can explain that."

idNYC is just something that gives people free membership to buy tickets to preview performances, they still pay for their tickets.

The Public is helping members exchange into other performances if they can, but for non-members... you just get a refund.

[TheLadyoftheWood]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 9:18pm

Can someone tell me why I read this as "Hamilton Cancels Saturday Matinees." I was very confused before reading it again.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 8/4/17 at 11:14pm

BakerWilliams said: "The Public is the Comcast of off-Broadway theatre. Terrible website, crazy expensive, impossible customer service, a haughty attitude that boarders on contempt for paying audiences, and so much money that they could not care less what you think.

I don't think their website is that bad all things considered. Some people at the box office have an attitude but everyone else I've interacted with who works there, particularly at Joe's Pub, has generally been very friendly and helpful. They book interesting shows with top talent so at full price, I get that it's expensive but there are shows to see through the Public at all price ranges and also rushes and lotteries.