Shakespeare in the Park Lines- Page 4

Posted: 7/7/09 at 4:03pm

luvtheemcee, its gate 3, row T.

[gustof777]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 4:07pm

Silent Shadow i was in W, the last row the other night if that helps. I know this has been brought up time and time again here but I was tenth in line on Monday and got last row tickets on the left. After getting up at three thirty I was furious. I realize there's nothing to be done. Just needed to vent.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 4:08pm

Gate 3 is the center section. They're far back, pretty near the middle.

[Anakela]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 4:14pm

Delacorte Theater seating chart

Posted: 7/7/09 at 4:19pm

Ok, thanks everyone. (Anakela, I couldn't find the seating chart anywhere, thanks!)

That's so ridiculous guestof777. I was close to 300th on liine, so I can't complain, but please, vent away. It was a really moronic decision to distribute the tickets in such a backwards way.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 4:30pm

Regarding the virtual line, if they're going to continue having it (assuming people do actually win...I am 0/every time I've tried this season and last, which is a lot), they really need to upgrade their server. It's crashing FAR too much for them to keep this up.

[mina3]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 5:25pm

jordangirl - People do win. I've won three times. It's total random luck.

Agreed about the server, though - you'd think they'd realize that it crashes every day.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 6:24pm

Look, it's a free show of very high quality. I guess I understand the need to vent, but honestly I don't get being "furious" about getting the last row or complaining about "crappy seats" in a comparatively small theater with no sight line issues and thus no really crappy seats. Not to mention it's a stellar cast, an excellent production - and, oh did I mention that it's FREE! Enjoy the show and don't worry about where your seat is, for heavens sake.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 6:31pm

ghostlight, I think the issue is it would seem much more fair for them to give the best of the free seats to those who were waiting online the longest instead of putting them towards the rear and giving those who lined up later the better seats. While I agree that it is free, and it is still a treasure, it does seem like they could be better about the ticket distribution and put the better seats at the top of the pile rather than the bottom.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 6:33pm

ghostlight, i can kind of understand why the person was complaning. he/she waited outside for close to 8 hours to get a ticket to this show and they apparently give out the "worst seats in the house" first.

i waited on the standby line for only 2.5 hours and got sixth row center tickets.

i guess the difference is, if you get to the park at 5am, you are guaranteed tickets. if you're in the standby line, you're taking a risk, but you'll get better seats if you luck out.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 6:34pm

instead of putting them towards the rear and giving those who lined up later the better seats.

That doesn't seem like the case, either; I know people who have been way toward the end and still gotten seats really far back. Either way, it would be nice if getting there early denoted better seats.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 7:01pm

"I think the issue is it would seem much more fair for them to give the best of the free seats to those who were waiting online the longest instead of putting them towards the rear and giving those who lined up later the better seats".

It just doesn't work that way. The better seats are usually not available earlier. The tickets are free to us, yes, but the show has to be paid for, and often in the form or corporations that get so many seats, and they usually are better ones as they're for business clients and so on. These seats very often end up not being used, but often the decision not to use them left until the last minute. That's why late standby people often get choice seats. Or none at all.

Or what WAT said. It's free, so it's a trade-off. There really aren't any crappy or worst seats in the theater - it's very well designed. I agree that they could improve the line situation. Hell, go back to the old way when people made a day of it, and hanging out on the lawn in the line was actually fun - and you didn't have to wait as long. But they have no control over what tickets become available when. It's the luck of the draw, and if I'm not mistaken, some of those complaining on this and other threads have seen the show more than once. To complain about it strikes me as ungrateful.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 7:33pm

The way it has worked in the past, the summer sponsors seats are in every other row, leaving every other row free for the public at most performances.

[tking001]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 7:35pm

so how does someone get Front row seats? if the Sponsors are in row's 2,4,6,8 etc.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 7:40pm

Sheer luck.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 7:53pm

I believe summer sponsors still are every other row, jordangirl, but they're not the ones making the show possible, not at $170 a pop - it's the corporate sponsors paying the bills, the really big companies, and they're usually the ones with the front row seats, and frankly I don't see why they shouldn't have them. The free show for the rest of us would not be possible without them. Of course anyone is entitled to complain, but it seems silly to after seeing the show for free, especially if you've seen it multiple times. Just my opinion.

Sorry, tking, like jordangirl said - I think you're out of luck for front row, unless one of the corporate bigshots decides to do something else that night. But who knows? Maybe you'll luck out.

ETA: summer sponsors are usually individuals, and seldom cancel, for if they do, they're out the $170 they paid, period. The stakes aren't as high for corporate sponsors, as they have blocks of tickets for several different dates. If they don't go one night, they'll go another.
Updated On: 7/7/09 at 07:53 PM

[rwlevin]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 9:36pm

Re: random tickets - That happened to me last year for Hair. I was second in line and ended up in row R. I tried again a week later and was in the middle of the pack and ended up in row S way on the left side of the theatre.

I also won the online lottery twice, on consecutive days, for Hair. The first day was rained out and the second day I had row S again but this time on the right side of the theatre.

I haven't tried for Twelfth Night, even though it's one of my favorite Shakespearean plays. I'm working now and either have to get up super early or have to start working super late and it's just not feasible to do the park thing or even see the show on my days off. Although I do say people should go out and wait online if anything, for the experience. You meet awesome people in line and have like a little picnic and if you go with a group of friends, one person can get food and stuff instead of just ordering from the takeout guy. But don't forget your plastic (or fold out chair) to sit on, unless you feel like having a wet bum, or the bug spray unless you want to be scratching for the next week.

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 10:29pm

i don't mind sitting in casa carajo, because the show is free but come on. someone who could have gotten in line at 7 a.m. can get a way better seat than someone who has waited overnight? a bit weird. i'm just a seat snob so i guess thats why it bothers me. if you just want to see it than yes even in the last row of the theater all the way to the right or left side is still a great view of everything.

[wonkit]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 11:08pm

The front row may also be reserved for elderly or mobility-challenged patrons.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 7/7/09 at 11:43pm

I think the senior tickets are in the front left section.

Updated On: 7/7/09 at 11:43 PM

[Mrfreeze]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 1:56am

For 2 racoons tonight the show was a major turn on! They really went at it. Was funny. :)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 1:59am

Heh, I didn't see them. I was hoping for one last raccoon sighting.

[acd114]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 8:36am

How does it work when the line forms outside of the park before 6am? Is it monitored at all? When the park opens does everybody respect the order of the line? Or is it a mad rush in? Thanks for the info!

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 8:49am

Line forms at 81st and CPW. Yes, it is monitored, and the order of the line is generally either respected or enforced. Good luck.

Also, glad to hear the raccoons are back. I didn't know they were exhibitionists
Updated On: 7/8/09 at 08:49 AM

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 7/8/09 at 10:02am

that wasn't the case when i went early for tickets last time ghostlight2. there was no one watching anything outside of the park and when the line was let it some people ended up farther back than where they actually were.