As an English major and book-lover, I have (of course) a secret nerdy obsession with William Shakespeare. I’ve seen all the movies, been to shows, taken classes focusing on ALL of his plays and memorized countless lines from them. And every year I try to make it to a Shakespeare in the Park show, but with work and summer classes, sadly, I’ve never been able to. This summer, however, I vow to make it to a show. The only problem is picking which one to see!
This summer’s featured plays are Measure For Measure and All’s Well That Ends Well. The plays run for about two and a half hours with a fifteen-minute intermission. The cast is the same for both plays, and includes some movie and television stars such as Annie Parisse and Dakin Matthews. Measure For Measure is one of Shakespeare’s problem plays (meaning it is not easily classified as a comedy or tragedy) about truth, lust and justice. Also generally considered a problem play, All’s Well That Ends Well focuses on trickery, social class and marriage.
The performances started on June 6th and the last show will be on July 30th. Tickets are free (!) and are distributed at 1 pm on the day of each performance. They are given out on a first come, first served basis, so getting there early is essential. Every show is at 8 pm in the Delacorte Theater in Central Park (the nearest entrances are 81st Street and Central Park West or 79th Street and Fifth Ave). A friend of mine went and said that even though she had to wait on line for a few hours, it was worth the wait and was even “kind of fun to stand with everyone and anxiously wait for tickets.” Take note, however, that tickets are limited to two per person and there are rules to follow while waiting on line (scalped tickets are not accepted and if you cut the line or cause a ruckus they have the right to remove you from the line—basic stuff, really). But food is allowed in and they also have concession stands with sandwiches, snacks and drinks. The hard part is just getting the tickets. Once you have them, the day can be spent picnicking in Central park, visiting the Met, and seeing the show at night. Even for someone who isn’t a Shakespeare buff like myself, this could be a day to be remembered. It’s a rare opportunity to not only see a Shakespeare play for free but see one put on by such an amazing production company—they have been performing Shakespeare plays in the park for fifty seven years to crowds of 1,500 people a night! Personally I’m leaning more towards All’s Well That Ends Well, so if any of you make it out maybe you’ll see me there. I’ll be the goofy girl intensely watching and most likely cheering and screaming at the end. Listed below are the dates that each show is playing:
All’s Well That Ends Well
June 6, 7, 13, 15, 18, 22, 26, 27, 28, 29
July 11, 12, 18, 19
Measure For Measure
June 11, 12, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25
July 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20, 25, 26, 27
—Jackie Aqel
Photo credit: http://www.bumpershine.com/wp-images/posts/shakespeare_park.gif
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