Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” is considered a ‘problem’ play with its ambiguous tone, shifting from humor to dark elements in the person of one of the central characters, the Jewish Shylock. No matter what Shylock does, he is teased and mock …Read more

So much has been written about Shakespeare over the years that it’s a challenge to find a novel approach to discuss his work. Yet actor Patrick Page (“Hadestown,” “Spider-man Turn Off the Dark”) has done just that by examining the bard’s work through …Read more

Having seen (read “been positively blown away by”) several of Edward Einhorn’s previous shows produced through Untitled Theater Company No. 61, and being a long-time lover of Shakespeare, I was all in for his company’s latest production at the New Oh …Read more

At the end of Shakespeare’s classic play, “Romeo and Juliet,” Juliet awakens to realize that Romeo is dead. Heartbroken, she commits suicide. What if she didn’t kill herself? What if, instead, she leaves Verona with her best friends and her trusty nu …Read more

What makes a play queer? Is it simply a queer cast? A queer aesthetic? Or something more? Billed as a queer and gender-blind, abridged and I quote “hilarious version of this beloved classic,” Sister Shakes Productions’ Romeo & Juliet (presented b …Read more

by Joan Marcus There’s something to be said for star power filling theater seats. Despite some tepid reviews for the latest version of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the Longacre Theatre was filled. And why not? It stars Daniel Craig (the most recent James B …Read more

“I don’t remember Christopher Lloyd,” said the woman sitting behind us in the outdoor theater. “Jim from the TV show Taxi,” we reminded her. “Oh, the crazy one.” For some, Lloyd might seem like a strange choice to portray the tragic leading character …Read more

Macbeth is a play that can easily get out of hand. Witches, murders, and a semi-psychotic title character can quickly devolve into a blood bath starring a raging tyrant, with a side show of Satanic rituals. But that’s not the approach John Doyle take …Read more

After last year’s revelatory Lear, the Shakespeare Forum mounts another bold, insightful production for El Barrio’s Shakespeare Festival 2019. This time, it’s Othello(s)–a work that reimagines Othello from the perspectives of different characters: R …Read more

THE BOTTOM LINE: Produced by Ruth Stage, War of the Roses tells the tale of Richard III’s wicked manipulation to make his way to the throne. If you are looking for elaborate sets and period costumes in this black box theater production, this show may …Read more