A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Pearl)
Closed 2h 45m
A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Pearl)
80

A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Pearl) NYC Reviews and Tickets

80%
(48 Ratings)
Positive
81%
Mixed
11%
Negative
8%
Members say
Great acting, Ambitious, Enchanting, Entertaining, Absorbing

About the Show

Pearl Theatre and Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival present this minimalist re-telling in which five actors take on all the roles in Shakespeare's most famous romantic comedy.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (48)

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148 Reviews | 36 Followers
99
Original, Ambitious, Exuberant, Funny, Great acting

See it if you like avant garde, over-the-top, very funny Shakespeare played by Incredibly talented actors. Kudos to the director as well!

Don't see it if you don't like Shakespeare or you only like the traditional performances.

ABG
162 Reviews | 72 Followers
90
Great staging, Masterful, Original

See it if You love Bedlam, Eric Tucker and/or A Midsummer Night's Dream. This is a brilliant production.

Don't see it if You need your Shakespeare "traditional" or "period" in order to be worthy of your attendance.

245 Reviews | 37 Followers
88
Absorbing, Funny, Exquisite, Quirky, Thought-provoking

See it if You want to see Phylicia rashad in the Central Park version in an outdoor theater setting. If you like Shakespeare and his complex plays

Don't see it if You don't like romance stories with plot twists and magic

61 Reviews | 18 Followers
88
Ambitious, Enchanting, Funny, Great staging, Original

See it if You are a Shakespeare fan looking for a totally original, fresh approach to make a great play come alive again.

Don't see it if You are easily confused by plays or the thought of Shakepseare puts you to sleep.

175 Reviews | 98 Followers
86
Dizzying, Confusing, Masterful, Original, Funny

See it if you can surrender to Shakespeare shaken up by dream logic & stirred w inventively physical staging & exuberantly virtuosic performances.

Don't see it if a lack of clarity & emotion + too many recurring bits will turn this Dream into a nightmare for you. It's a vital US take on a classic. Go!

1107 Reviews | 377 Followers
85
Ambitious, Imaginative, Dizzying, Challenging, Clever

See it if you're an Eric Tucker fan. MSND is innovative, fascinating, intense, funny, energetic, insightful but requires strong knowledge of the play.

Don't see it if you get offended. I found Titania's sexual romp w/Bottom-as-ass misogynistic. Some laughed, but it wasn't funny. Otherwise, a great night. Read more

101 Reviews | 31 Followers
78
Entertaining, Slow, Great writing, Great acting, Quirky

See it if you like Shakespeare and want to see an interesting take on this classic play

Don't see it if you don't like Shakespeare or if you plays done with minimal scenery. They utilize the space well but there is no scenery changes.

113 Reviews | 20 Followers
73
Enchanting, Dated, Masterful

See it if You are a shakespeare lover

Don't see it if You do not enjoy classical plays

Critic Reviews (9)

The New York Times
September 20th, 2015

"It seems clear that all the performers here have been infected by Bottom’s passion to take on any role that might be on offer, and to turn every thought and impulse into theatrical action. In their hands, Shakespeare’s tale of love lost and found in an enchanted forest becomes a gleeful paean to the joys of losing and finding yourself through acting...Its first objective is to entertain, while sustaining a sharp narrative that follows a labyrinthine course of love, true and false."
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The Wall Street Journal
September 17th, 2015

"Not since Peter Brook’s now-legendary 1970 Royal Shakespeare Company version has there been so radically original or mysteriously poetic a production of the greatest of all stage comedies. It seals Mr. Tucker’s reputation as the outstanding American classical stage director of his generation."
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Theatermania
September 21st, 2015

"This production may feel disconcerting to those who expect a traditional production of 'Midsummer,' and given Tucker's innovative treatment, it could prove initially confusing for those who have not encountered the work before on page or stage. But Tucker and his troupe lend an unexpected magic and hilarity to this comedy that you're not likely to see anywhere else — a perfect example of Shakespeare at play."
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CurtainUp
September 16th, 2015

"There are so many moving parts that things are bound to slip here and there—and they do, with some odd pacing in spots, some strange tonal choices, and other inconsistencies which mar the production...Despite its issues, I found this to be the most engaging and intriguing performance of the play I've seen. It's good, challenging work from a highly regarded company and director, and if you like to see the work of the Bard pushed without being mangled, this production is well worth your while."
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Broadway Blog
September 28th, 2015

"The question is: what happens when you stage 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' with such a tiny cast, not a single costume alteration, no props, and the sounds and music (much of it drawn from familiar pop tunes) supplied by the actors themselves? The answer—at least much of the time—is, like the name of Tucker’s company, bedlam... This isn’t to say that there’s not a lot here to appreciate."
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Times Square Chronicles
September 19th, 2015

"'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' is performed in what looks like a gigantic kitty litter box. Not surprising, considering within the first five minutes, I would have flushed this production down the drain. Gone is the ethereal beauty and the poetry to be replaced by the crass grabbing of body parts and copulation every chance they get. And this is suppose to pass as comedy. This version seems conceived by a 13 year old boy’s wet dream...I’m sorry this is not theater and it is not funny."
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The Huffington Post
September 20th, 2015

"This is not a good introduction to Shakespeare's messy but enduring comedy. Yet some new notes are struck and that's nothing to pass over lightly...But we feel little when lovers are torn apart and even less when they are reunited. And you know a 'Midsummer' is not wholly successful when you worry about the ending before it's begun. Still, the cast is energetic and winning and some rewards are earned."
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Financial Times (UK)
September 22nd, 2015

"The acting quintet impresses most of all with its teamwork. Never did they fail to meet Tucker’s demands. As usual, his approach works best with the most familiar of classics. I would not recommend this 'Dream' to first-timers: too much of the text would be lost amid the distractions of the actors getting from one movement to the next. To the rest of us, however, the transitions seem...invisible."
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