There’s one other thread on the SDMB on the subject, with only one response, so I’m just asking directly and simply, … is it fun? It appears I’ll have to wait all day for the hope of getting a ticket, and Wikipedia and Google are just clogged with glowing testimonials. But is it a good? Is it crowded, is it easy to hear, is the crowd, for a free event civil? What exactly, keeps it from devolving into a bunch of people doing what they want, outdoors, in the general vicinity of a play? I’m envisioning drunk people making it something akin to a Rocky Horror Picture showing … perhaps they through ruffs instead of Scott tissue … or something.
People on the SDMB have often described their experiences in the studio audience of an SNL performance, so maybe people want to talk about their Shakespeare in the park experience.
I think it’s a quintessential New York experience. You do have to get there early and wait until early afternoon but the crowds and the location are very nice. Then you can spend the afternoon hanging out on the Uppee West Side, which is fun, and I’ve seen some great shows there.
OK, so if you spend the day, its a nice wrap-up. But how does the performance go, with the audience outside. No problems ever? That sort of concern.
This group: http://newyorkclassical.org/whats-playing Does plays at other parks. Ar these a little less well known, maybe a lighter crowd, and better venue at those parks?
The venue is beautiful but you do face the risk of rainouts, so checking the weather forecast beforehand is a must. And yes, there’s other outdoor theater. It depends on what is playing and where you are, plus how you feel about long waits and big crowds.
I can’t speak to Central Park, but I went to The Two Gentlemen of Verona on Boston Common last summer and had a great time. It’s more casual than an indoor theater, but it’s not like the audience was bouncing beach balls or throwing frisbees, either.
The show seemed to be tailored to fit in with that sort of casual crowd. The setting was changed to '60s era Las Vegas, and they even added a few musical numbers. Not all of it worked, but it was a nice way to spend a summer evening.
The Delacorte is a theatre, it’s just outside under the stars. The audience behaves no different than they do at any Broadway show (or even better! I’ve never heard a cell phone go off at the Delacorte during the show.)
People wait on line beginning early in the morning for tickets, the line is very civil and quiet. Seriously it’s people waiting to see Shakespeare. The tickets are assigned seating like any other show.
I’ve actually had great luck waiting on the standby line. You get there around 6, maybe a bit earlier if it’s a really popular show, and at 7:30 they start handing out tickets that were never picked up from the morning line. Four times I got front row tickets this way.
Thanks. If there’s a chance I can’t get in because I arrived after 5 pm fine, I’ll do something else. If there’s a chance for front row because people changed their mind even better. And if it doesn’t work out for any other reason … I’ll leave and do something else. Thanks again.
I agree with everyone. Try and get their early (2 hours before showtime, alas). My last experience was me and my wife just getting cut-off for tix on the stand-by line for “Into the Woods” (Amy Adams), but one song later we got in. Fifth row front and center. Woot!
Too bad, it was a fun show. My daughter’s good friend was one of the actors in the show (he played The Narrator and was middle-school age). We visited him during rehearsal and got a backstage tour! It’s a great venue.
The show getting rained out is a possibility, but unlikely. I would actually recommend going on a day that’s overcast with light rain as there will not be crowds. I saw Twelfth Night with Anne Hathaway on a slightly rainy day and was able to get in without any problem despite only showing up about 30 min before showtime.
It was an absolutely fantastic experience and I’d love to go again. I will try to make it a priority this summer.
The show I went to was very good. A moderate sized crowd, no stage, just people talking Shakespeare in the park. People would walk by and go, “What is this”, and I’d just show them the playbill – As You Like It, which was well suited to being in an open air park. The action move around a bit, and the audience has to get up and move, then while your attention is on two actors speaking, another one just chimes in – and he’s standing right next to you in the audience. People bring small children – that’s a good idea, get them used to this before they get to High School and think of it as something to suffer through. I would definitely go see it again. Its going to be even more interesting when the heat level gets higher in the summer, of if there’s light drizzle to keep the show going, but still weigh them down in costume.
OK now I am a bit confused. What you are describing is not Shakespeare in the Park, though it may have been people *doing *Shakespeare in a park.
Shakespeare in the Park is a summer long series of two shows put on by The Public Theatre and held inside the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. The shows they are doing this summer are Much Ado About Nothing (which begins performances tomorrow) and King Lear. Here is their website: http://shakespeareinthepark.org/