Shakespeare In The Park: Lines?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 1:15pm

Anyone have any idea how the lines have been thus far? I know there's no one "famous" in the show, so I figured getting a ticket won't be a crazy, line-up at 3am the day before kind of experience. But is it as simple as just walking up and getting a ticket like it was for that awful Jonathan Groff show?

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 1:21pm

Even the hottest tickets are pretty accessible early in the run. Many people don't know that it's started.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 1:33pm

Right. I just know that I missed my chance to snag a ticket at noon, so didn't know what my chances were of just showing up at like 7 or something.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 1:40pm

Yesterday they were giving out tickets well into the afternoon, and I'm pretty sure everyone on the standby line got in.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 1:49pm

Good to know! Thanks! Anyone seen it yet? How is it? I didn't care for what the director did with "Driving Miss Daisy," but I've never seen/read this particular play.

[Play Esq.]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 1:56pm

AC126748: Did you see it last night? Anyone have opinions? Early in the run, but I'm very curious about both of this year's productions.

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 2:07pm

I didn't see it last night. I am planning to go next week. I follow The Public on Twitter and they tweeted at 4:00 yesterday that tickets were still available (they start distributing at 1:00) and that everyone on standby was successful.

I am very much looking forward to seeing it--the cast is pretty terrific.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 3:01pm

I saw it last night. I'm not a huge fan of Measure for Measure as a play and a lot of my problems with the production are just with the text itself, but I thought this was a pretty strong production with it. I have some issues with some directorial choices- for example, there are these demons and a plague doctor that pop up occasionally in Act I to symbolize corruption and such, and they don't really work (and they completely vanish in Act 2).

But the production nicely plays up the comedy- particularly Reg Rogers and Carson Elrod, who are both great. Tonya Pinkins is so underused as Mistress Overdone. Michael Hayden is a wonderful Angelo, Danai Gurira finds a lot of layers with Isabella, and Lorenzo Pisoni is incredibly handsome and charismatic.

I think Measure for Measure is such a weird play. It's hard for any production of it to be great.

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 4:50pm

Remember to enter the virtual lottery. I won last night; I feel like it's easier early in the season.

I basically agree with Kad about the play; I have a few issues with the text, but I thought this was a strong production (especially in terms of comedy). I particularly enjoyed Lorenzo Pisoni's performance.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/7/11 at 4:53pm

I love that they posted "production photos" two of which are the same photo that show nothing, and one is the director in rehearsal. What a bust!

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 4:34pm

For anyone who has already seen the show, what was the running time? Thanks.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 5:08pm

Scholars will classify MEASURE FOR MEASURE as one of Shakespeare's "problem" plays. Is is a comedy? Is it a tragedy? There are strong elements of both. Still, it's one of my favorites. The "quality of mercy" speech always touches my heart.

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 7:54pm

Each act was an hour and fifteen minutes. On the first night the show started late and had a long intermission so it got out at 11pm.

[AlwaysTheAssistantMD]

Posted: 6/9/11 at 8:07pm

RE: Dollypop - "The quality of mercy" speech was last summer.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 6/11/11 at 5:17pm

You are absolutely right. Why did I get MEASURE FOR MEASURE confused with THE MERCHANT OF VENICE? I'm only retired from teaching high school English for four years now. What'll I be like in another decade? Ugh!

[AC126748]

Posted: 6/16/11 at 11:53am

I can't imagine a better evening to attend Shakespeare in the Park than last night--cool, breezy, minimal flies, etc. I can definitely imagine a much better production than their current offering of Measure for Measure, directed by David Esbjornson and acted by a wildly uneven cast.

I've never understood why this particular play is produced so much. This is the FIFTH production that's been done at The Delacorte in twenty-five years; the most recent production was only a decade ago. This production is directed by Esbjornson as a morality play; black demons permeate the stage and seem to represent the conflicting desires that each of the characters feel. It seemed kind of an antiquated directorial choice, and often felt more laughable than terrifying.

The company was a mixed bag. I enjoyed Danai Gurira's slow-burning Isabella; she had a wonderful stage presence and a real feel for the language. She certainly seemed more in-control than Michael Hayden's Master Thespian-inspired Angelo. I never once bought the character's conflicted nature. As Duke Vincentio, Lorenzo Pisaroni did little more than speak his lines. Tonya Pinkins affected an odd British accent as Mistress Overdone; she was the only member of the cast to do so. Annie Parisse is an actress I have enjoyed in contemporary plays, but she was pretty terrible here. Her style and delivery were really ill-equipped for Shakespeare, and I'm not sure how she'll be able to pull off the leading role in All's Well That Ends Well. Carson Elrod was quite entertaining as Pompey, but his costume baffled me. In a production using period dress, why would the director and designer decide to put him in a pair of American Apparel cut-offs and an S&M vest?

The long final scene--which, in the tradition of Shakespeare's "romances," ties up the loose ends--felt absolutely endless. Everyone was in a different play.

I don't recommend this production, but for those who are interested: I arrived to wait for tickets at 8:00 yesterday and was maybe the 40th person in line. I would guess that you could have arrived yesterday at noon (or even 1:00) and gotten tickets with relative ease. My seats were excellent: Row D of the right-center section, on the aisle.

[jewelchk]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 12:26pm

Any updates on the regular ticket and the standby lines, now that we're further into the run?

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 12:42pm

I did the standby line last night for ALL'S WELL. I got there just before 6:30 and was near the little bridge where the road bends. (Right next to the generator.) By the time it was 7:50, the line had moved up so I was now #19 and there were an additional 100 people behind me. I got a ticket, as did many of those behind me, though I doubt all 100 got in. Somehow I ended up with a front row center seat! The people in front of & behind me were scattered father back so I just lucked out. That was actually the second time I managed a front row seat from the standby line.

I really enjoyed the play! I thought it was very funny. I was not familiar at all with the plot beforehand but I didn't find it difficult to understand or anything.

[jewelchk]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 1:14pm

Thanks. I may be able to make it early enough after work on a weeknight then!

[nomdeplume]

Posted: 7/3/11 at 1:59pm

I prefer the evening stand-by line as it takes less time and avoids two trips to the Park and there is less sun.

I did the stand-by line for Measure for Measure on opening night Thursday 6/30 and for All's Well That Ends Well last night, Saturday 7/2.

6/30 was supposed to have limited distribution. I arrived about 4:30 PM and was at the front of the stand-by line. The people given vouchers from the line earlier in the day are separated and go before you. The early line and vouchers get 2 tickets, stand-by only 1 each. Although the staff said we only had a 1% chance to get in and some left, I decided to wait, more tickets were found and all the voucher line and half the stand-by line at least got tickets. My ticket was way up in the back to one side but all the seats are fine.

On 7/2 I came about 5:00 PM and there were about 20 people before me in the stand-by line, which grew much longer than the one on Thursday. All the voucher line and many of the stand-by line were admitted. My seat was center left in the third row (B), great seat, better than the lower rows for perspective of the stage.

Enjoyed both productions but found both leading ladies problematic. In M for M for her speech, popping her p's and rushing, lack of Shakespearean enunciation. In AWTEW, too schoolmarm, lack of ingenue fresh spirit though excellent diction. I thought both women were odd choices, but that's Shakespeare in the Park.

Meaure for Measure is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. It is a justice play, plain and simple, for those who trouble at classiflying. And I did like the demons onstage as they were clueing the audience in that all was not right in the kingdom, and set up the premise by the initial nightmare for why the royal leader should engage in subterfuge to check things out.

Both the productions are great fun out under the stars. Both evenings were perfect weather. M for M I liked the best but I enjoyed AWTEW especially as I can't remember seeing that staged, so it was fun to be refreshed.