Let's say right up front I bought a T-shirt at the New York Shakespeare Exchange show of Shakesbeer that says "I'd do Hamlet." And now a couple of sober days later I don't regret it.
The New York Shakespeare Exchange offers a really fun Saturday pub crawl where their actors perform 4 scenes from Shakespeare while you travel from pub to pub. It's a bit of a steep ticket but for your $40 you get 4 tickets for drinks (we wish they had a sliding scale for those among us who don't drink as much 3 tickets for $30 would be nice). Each bar offered different beers, wines, some hard liquor or soda and always Shakespeare. The final pub also had a discount dinner menu for Shakesbeer participants ($10 for a hamburger & fries, fish and chips, Caesar salad and other items) which was a good deal.
I found the performers used the space well. They emerge from the crowd in street clothes leaping on bars, tables, and sometimes interacting with the crowd. The scenes we saw this past weekend included ones from Love's Labors Lost, Taming of the Shrew and Midsummer Night's Day. I enjoyed a little Shakespeare mash-up that was offered as well. The performances were quite good with the actors having a keen understanding of the texts, the meter and an eye towards entertaining the crowd.
The next offering is next weekend (March 3rd). I highly recommend checking it out. Bring friends. It is best enjoyed with a group because you will be drinking and chatting as much as watching the performances. And you might see some underpants. Just saying...Shakespeare gets a little lusty.
The New York Shakespeare Exchange offers a really fun Saturday pub crawl where their actors perform 4 scenes from Shakespeare while you travel from pub to pub. It's a bit of a steep ticket but for your $40 you get 4 tickets for drinks (we wish they had a sliding scale for those among us who don't drink as much 3 tickets for $30 would be nice). Each bar offered different beers, wines, some hard liquor or soda and always Shakespeare. The final pub also had a discount dinner menu for Shakesbeer participants ($10 for a hamburger & fries, fish and chips, Caesar salad and other items) which was a good deal.
I found the performers used the space well. They emerge from the crowd in street clothes leaping on bars, tables, and sometimes interacting with the crowd. The scenes we saw this past weekend included ones from Love's Labors Lost, Taming of the Shrew and Midsummer Night's Day. I enjoyed a little Shakespeare mash-up that was offered as well. The performances were quite good with the actors having a keen understanding of the texts, the meter and an eye towards entertaining the crowd.
The next offering is next weekend (March 3rd). I highly recommend checking it out. Bring friends. It is best enjoyed with a group because you will be drinking and chatting as much as watching the performances. And you might see some underpants. Just saying...Shakespeare gets a little lusty.
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