Merry Wives of Windsor (2025) (Globe Theatre)

After a long day of work in London, and not feeling well, I got back to the hotel around 6:30pm. I took a quick thirty minute nap. And when I got back up, I was summoned back to work. Everything is an emergency. So I was late to our 9:15pm dinner reservation but the Uber got me to dinner around 9:30. And we had a nice dinner, waiter's choice. We had drinks at the pub (or actually on the sidewalk outside the pub) until it was time to head to the Globe Theater for the midnight matinee. For starters, insane that midnight matinee is even a thing. They could end at midnight and still call it that, but no this actually starts at midnight and they do an unabridged performance for two and a half hours. Didn't get back to the hotel until 3am. But the seats in the Globe (authentic to the time) are so uncomfortable I couldn't even fall asleep like I usually do. At least we got seats! They sell standing room tickets right in front of the stage for 5 pounds. And I don't think I could've stood for 2.5 hours at midnight after a long day, though the peasants were having a grand ole time. We got seats in the gents boxes, which are a little behind the stage. So we're actually in full view of the audience; it's where the pretty noblemen would go to be seen. We did pay double what we should've because the empty seats next to us in the box (all the boxes were empty) were considered restricted view and we should've just bought those. But anyways, from behind, you don't catch all of the actors expressions. The expressions are kind of an essential part of Shakespearean comedy. The laughs are not just in the words themselves but in the acting. And they got serious laughs.

I loved the period band that sits on the second level balcony above the stage. They play french horn, percussion, tuba, trumpet--and there's even a sousaphone. I will say the plot itself I could not follow, even though I've seen the play before. There is famously a Welsh character, whose accent was totally unintelligible to the American viewer. There is also a part where they go into the audience and interact with the standing folks. They wear Eyes Wide Shut masks and scare people. It's a good fun time. 

Hamlet (The Public Theater) (2023)

In 2019, Kenny Leon staged a brilliant production of Much Ado About Nothing in the park. This year, he returns to the Delacorte (for one final season before it closes for 18 months of renovations) with Hamlet. Though the plays have nothing to do with each other, he stages it in the same affluent black suburb of alternate Atlanta, one in which Stacey Abrams ran for president in 2020. But this time, the Abrams banner is broken, the palatial estate is crooked, the American flag is at an angle, the car in a puddle, and at center stage a casket draped in an American flag. The set and costumes are fabulous. The Queen Gertrude is dressed in African regalia.  Like in "Much Ado", the cast is predominantly black and they infuse the play with hip-hop and gospel music. 

Ato Blankson-Wood is very good as the eponymous Hamlet. His "To Be or Not To Be" was breathtaking. I don't feel like he really got across though that he was faking insanity. The production definitely suggests that he's actually gone mad following the murder of his father. The father's ghost appears as an ominous voice who possesses Hamlet, and there are some spooky lights. In this way, Hamlet is portrayed as more of an anti-hero. But I remembered Hamlet being more justified in his anger. 

Shakespeare's longest play, Hamlet usually runs more than 4 hours but this production is an abbreviated 2 hours 45 minutes. There are subplots removed which has the effect of accelerating the main plot. It makes the pacing kind of weird. And by the time everyone dies at the end, it feels sort of unearned. In conclusion, not as good as Much Ado About Nothing, but maybe I also am just not a big fan of the tragedies.

As You Like It (2017) (Public Works)

For the tenth anniversary of Public Works, Shakespeare in the Park re-staged the incredible musical-adaptation of As You Like It (which lends itself well to the musical genre) brought to life by Shaina Taub, who also plays Jaques. It's kind of incredible how perfect this play is for the mission of Public Works, to blur the line between community members and professional performers. Because "All the world's a stage, and the men and women merely players". It's about the power of theater as a unifying force. It's beautiful and just the show we need in the pandemic. It's a celebration of community and diversity. The ending is poignant with old Rosalind and Orlando, and young Jaques, who is actually a noticeably stronger singer than the composer who casts herself a la Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The plot is unbelievable and convoluted and honestly kind of irrelevant. It has a happy ending, naturally, relatively lightweight for Shakespeare. But it is hilarious and really quite clever. There is a wrestling scene that is staged as a fun luchador battle. "Let's go Bronco, let's go Frankie" reminded me of Bronco Henry haha. The set is gorgeous. With the Belvedere Castle in the background, there is a bridge and three beautiful trees representing the Arden. The band is beneath the bridge. The cast is easily a hundred strong, surely the biggest company they've had at the Delacorte and they're wonderful. They're a reflection of us and there's something very moving about that.

Merry Wives (The Public Theater) (2021)

Live theater is back! It's a pretty lightweight choice as far as Shakespeare goes, but maybe that's just the type of lighthearted comedic fare that the moment calls for. Saheem Ali adapts the Merry Wives of Windsor to a west African community in Harlem. Ali astutely notes that the social mores of Shakespeare's time are still alive in the traditional African immigrant community. I didn't realize that the original relies heavily on French and Welsh accents. Here, the African accents are quite strong, such that it is quite difficult to understand sometimes. But it doesn't matter too much. The actors are still able to convey physical and emotive comedy. It's surprisingly funny and timeless for Shakespeare. And what I appreciated was that it was relatively simple to follow compared to his other comedies that rely on misunderstandings. The set is really great (the angles for 3D perspective, the way the storefronts open up, Falstaff's pimped out room) and the lighting in the final scene against the beautiful trees of Central Park is breathtaking.

Coriolanus (2019) (The Public Theater)

I was not familiar with Coriolanus. It is not one of Shakespeare's more often performed plays. One of his later tragedies, Coriolanus takes place in ancient Rome. It features a war hero on the verge of being named consul if he could just get over his contempt for the plebians that make up the majority of the city. And when the people finally reject him, he takes vengeance on the city. He's not the most sympathetic hero. He's actually extremely unsympathetic. Jonathan Cake plays Coriolanus with a very deep, almost Bane-like voice. It's hard to take him seriously because he screams so many of his lines. I feel like we never get an adequate explanation for why he has so much contempt for the regular people except for class hierarchy. It seems unfounded, too extreme. Maybe that played better in hierarchical Elizabethan England. And then, when the patricians blame the plebian tribunes for exiling Coriolanus and making him mad, I lost it. It's as if Coriolanus is put up on a Superman-like pedestal. Who is this guy that he can do no wrong in their eyes? Because he is so obviously wrong. The problem wasn't the exile. It was that they didn't execute him in Act I.

Let's just also put it out there that the Public spent up all its budget on the amazing production of Much Ado About Nothing earlier this summer. The costumes here looked like something out of The Walking Dead. They're dirty and torn. The set looks like a slum. And yes, the set moves, but it's not as expensive looking as the beautiful estate from Much Ado About Nothing. The soundtrack also pales in comparison. And it drizzled for about a half hour of the performance. They valiantly performed through it, but it would've been nice if we had stayed dry.

Much Ado About Nothing (The Public Theater) (2019)

This is the best and most modern Shakespeare I have ever seen. Kenny Leon's take on Much Ado About Nothing is fresh and lively. It is subliminally political; the first thing you see is a prominent "Stacey Abrams 2020" banner. It's not quite as on the nose as the Donald Trump Julius Caesar from a couple summers ago. But the undertones are there. We hear a beautiful rendition of What's Going On sung by Danielle Brooks. This community is in the contemporary resistance. Taking place in the near future with an all black cast, it is about community and black love.The music and choreography are simultaneously unexpected and perfect for this modern, unabashedly black show.

Julius Caesar (The Public Theater) (2017)

This year's Shakespeare in the Park production is very timely, a modern adaptation of Julius Caesar with Trump (fully in the nude!) as Caesar, Melania as Calpurnia (complete with the accent) and Jared Kushner as Octavian (identifiable by the bulletproof vest). Of course, that means that The Public Theater kills off Trump every night in Central Park. Call it gutsy, bold, even brilliant albeit a little obvious. It goes to show that Julius Caesar remains as relevant as two thousand years ago, as he was during Elizabethan times as he is today. It is reset in our modern America pitting protesters against police and people against dictator. The people are us. To really make us feel part of the people, there are actors hidden in the audience who are silent for 3 Acts and then erupt. They were right behind and in front of us! It was like we were part of the show, it was good fun. 

The Taming of the Shrew (The Public Theater) (2016)

This all-female production of a rather misogynistic play was interesting, but certainly strange. It is a twist to make outdated Elizabethan gender roles tolerable and accessible to a modern audience. Janet McTeer as Petrucchio is excellent. She plays a man well. And Cush Jumbo is versatile as Katherina both unruly and tamed. But what was weirdest about this production is the transposition of the Italian-set play to America, specifically Texas. They don't change any of the place names, but the costumes include cowboy hats and leather jackets and plaid. The set looks carnival themed. They read Shakespeare with a twang. Shakespeare is meant to be read with a British accent.

There is an inexplicable beauty pageant in the beginning and end of the play that definitely wasn't written by Shakespeare. It is used to cleverly jab Donald Trump. And maybe a knock at Steve Harvey too? But I'm not entirely sure where it fits into the play. The production is supposed to move away from Shakespeare's original reading of gender stereotypes, but a pageant seems to reinforce them. Unless it's all just to set up the very last moment when tamed Katherina has the title stripped away from her. Maybe that is the intention. I don't know, but it's kind of bizarre.

Cymbeline (The Public Theater) (2015)

Cymbeline is a very strange play--must be why no one ever reads it at school or produces it.  It certainly is not one of Shakespeare's best.  Is it a comedy, a tragedy, a history?  It defies proper categorization.  It is a romance that doesn't end in marriage, a tragedy that ends happily, a history that depends on legend. It seems the director wasn't sure what to do about this.  There are lots of comedic moments that are refreshing and much needed in a three-hour play.  But it has just as many dramatic moments.  And it isn't until the end until the director makes a firm decision.  Because the play ends with a jig, complete with a fiddle and synchronized dancing.  It is seemingly out of place, but then you realize it's actually a perfectly fitting ending to a bizarre piece of theater.

The play is redeemed by good actors.  They interact with the first few rows of the audience and have a jolly good time on stage.  There are a few songs--the best sung by Tony nominee Raul Esparza.  He has a smooth voice that totally destroyed the admittedly out-of-place Vegas-y number.  Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe have a great chemistry as the two leads that has been proven several times.   Linklater pulls double weight, playing two polar opposite characters.  He puts on silly wig and leaves on just one button of his shirt and puts on a ridiculous voice to play Cloten.  And Cloten is the easiest name to pronounce among the plethora of impossible names.

The plot is also pretty unbelievable.  There is a lot going on and it is all sort of convoluted.  A couple of the characters change clothes and suddenly they are unrecognizable to the other characters.  It is almost comically ridiculous.  The ending is a big reveal where everything magically turns out right and they live happily ever after.  It's a strange ending to a bizarre play.

The Tempest (The Public Theater) (2015)

Shakespeare in the Park is one of New York's most treasured traditions.  Every summer, The Public Theater stages two free star-studded productions at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, a peaceful amphitheater amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.  The Belvedere Castle provides a majestic backdrop to the stage.  I won the virtual lottery this year, so I didn't have to wait in line early in the morning like last year when I saw Much Ado About Nothing, which in itself is a whole experience. Shakespeare is difficult; there is no doubt about that.  To a speaker of modern English, it is sometimes difficult to follow all of the dialogue in the play, especially in the scenes involving the shipwrecked crew.  But that is not to detract from the excellent acting and staging, which gives the audience plenty to go on. 

The first thing I noticed when I took my seat was the set.  It was quite minimal, with an ocean backdrop and a black spiral staircase to a second level.  It was nowhere near as impressive as the Italian estate created for last year's production.  The Tempest, taking place on a magical island, lends itself to an imaginative set, and so the audience is made to use its imagination.  What it lacks in scenery it makes up for with atmosphere.  A percussionist in the corner of the stage played a variety of instruments throughout the play creating an air of mysticism, a storm of sound, and a rhythm to which the actors recited their lines.  For me, the percussionist really brought the whole production together.  And of course, in an open-air theater, we are exposed to the elements.  As forecasted, and in accordance with my bad luck, it rained lightly for about ten minutes.  But the show went on.  I got a little wet, but it was nothing to complain about.  In fact, it enhanced the atmosphere of the play, for I genuinely felt like I was in the tempest.

Finally, I have to address the actors.  Sam Waterston is a Shakespeare in the Park veteran, returning to the role of Prospero after 41 years.  He has a commanding authority over Shakespeare's prose and it is a joy to watch him perform.  Jesse Tyler Ferguson plays the jester Trinculo.  Just as he has proven in Modern Family, he has great comedic timing.  Caliban and Ariel are two counterweights in the play, one a barbarous creature, the other a graceful spirit.  Both actors are superb in these roles (also helped along by the percussionist).