One of the best things about summer is that we are able to enjoy another season of Shakespeare in the Park. Other cities present Shakespeare festivals during the warm months, but New York’s productions are still the gold standard. Major stars compete for the opportunity to be cast. Up-and-coming stars see the exposure as a showcase. Meryl Streep has appeared as both, an ingénue looking to enhance her resume and a veteran taking on the challenge of a grueling role (the recent Mother Courage).
This season we are able to see an enchanting Anne Hathaway (does she just get better and better?) as the cross-dressing Viola in a delightful Twelfth Night. As always, the cast is made up of theater veterans like four-time Tony Award-winning Audra McDonald, charming as the sought-after countess Olivia, who plots to avoid the advances of Orsino, the duke, played by the talented Raul Esparza. Jay O. Sanders delights as the comical Sir Toby Belch, whose amusing schemes to befuddle Olivia’s steward, Malvolio (Michael Cumpsty) eventually backfire. Brilliant casting found Stark Sands, who plays Viola’s long lost brother, Sebastian. That Stark resembles Hathaway dressed as a boy adds immeasurably to the confusion and hilarity.
The play’s the thing, of course. But part of the enjoyment of Shakespeare in the Park is the park itself. The Delacorte is an open air amphitheater located off the Great Lawn, equally accessible from the East and West Sides. While some seats are closer to the action, any seat in the theater will have a good view of the stage and the atmosphere. And what atmosphere! On a clear night, the stars and the moon seem to hover over the stage. In the background, the Belvedere Castle is lit up and becomes another character in the drama. Because most Shakespearean plays feature a castle, we can imagine that when the principals are not on stage, they are retired to Belvedere, sipping wine and resting up.
As with any outdoor experience, seeing a play outdoors presents challenges. This summer the rains have been unrelenting and audiences have sat through more rain delays than fans at Yankee Stadium where only a torrential downpour halts a game. So listen to the weather report, but bring an umbrella just in case. With the rains have come the mosquitoes. While the overhead lights coax most of the bugs away, it’s wise to bring some insect repellent.
My big complaint about the Delacorte involves the bathrooms. Before the play and during intermission, the line for the ladies room snakes around the pathways. My advice: get there early enough to use the facilities and find your seats. And when intermission begins, bolt for the exit to get in line.
One of the attractions of Shakespeare in the Park is that the tickets are free for those who line up the day of the performance. Although the Delacorte begins distributing tickets at 1 p.m., you will never nab seats if you arrive that late. Best strategy is to get there early, between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Bring a book and prepare to wait.
A new invention is the virtual line where you can sign in on the Shakespeare in the Park website and attempt to get tickets. If you aren’t able to spend a morning lining up for tickets (and don’t have a friend to do that for you), then become a sponsor and purchase tickets for $170 each.
No matter how you get there, get there. Summer in New York is all about Shakespeare in the Park.
Twelfth Night will be playing through July 12. From August 11 through August 30, the production will be The Bacchae.
For a good place to eat beforehand, see our story on Serafina’s under “Dining Around.”
For more information go to splash.publictheater.org
