Elevator Repair Service, the Obie-winning company behind 'Gatz,' returns to The Public to celebrate their 25th season with a new production of Shakespeare’s dark comedy about vice and hypocrisy. More…
With athletic theatricality and Marx-Brothers-inspired slapstick, the ERS ensemble brings new life to this story of impossible moral choices in 17th-century Vienna. Radical experiments with speed set the play’s combination of the comically absurd and the tragically serious in stark relief, and deliver a new show that marries the company’s unique performance style with the Bard’s exquisitely lyrical language. ERS Founder and Artistic Director John Collins directs.
See it if ... see it if... if... well... umm... I got nothin'.
Don't see it if you have any respect for Shakespeare, The Public, the Elevator Repair Service or your time. [This ill-conceived MforM is a total misfire.]
Also The positive reviews here are inexplicable to me. It is a rare sight t... Read more Read less
See it if You are very, very familiar with Shakespeare's plot, can tolerate drastically reimagined classics, enjoy what may be creative gimmicks,
Don't see it if You want your Bard done in linear style that doesn't challenge, don't like edited, rethought productions that can be hard to follow
See it if You are a fan of ERS. You want to see the absolute most unusual rendering of this classic Shakesperian play ever ! You are open minded.
Don't see it if You can’t leave Pre-conceived ideas out of your mind. You are uncomfortable if you can’t understand everything you hear !
Also If you have never experienced an ERS production this is probably not t... Read more Read less
See it if You LOVE ERS and all they do. Occassionally funny mixed with a lot of WTF?
Don't see it if you like hearing Shakespeare's words. Brutally fast in some places, excruciatingly slow in others. This was all over the place.
See it if you're ok w/ a single, brilliant, 5-10 min. scene that could forever change your reading of MfM even if the other 120 min. are a slog
Don't see it if you’re new to the play and want to understand Measure for Measure; you want a show that’s entertaining the whole time
Also This production speeds through the boring parts of MfM which, accordin... Read more Read less
See it if A beautiful play. Some very nice, touching moments. And shockingly relevant to today.
Don't see it if The director made the weird choice of having the actors speed through much of the script, making it hard to understand.
See it if you like traditional Shakespearean language, mixed era costumes,typical Elevator Repair Service sets. Not as good as TFANA production
Don't see it if are a traditionalist. They work too hard to break it down
See it if you'd like Measure for Measure performed with zany hijinx, rapid-fire delivery, and alternately too-fast and too-slow pacing.
Don't see it if the no-holds barred comic performances of the cast aren't enough to sway you to try out this slapstick version of the play.
See it if Anything in theater is all right? How about a Shakespearean dramedy where several players act & the remainder do shtick? It's wearying &...
Don't see it if cloying. Add the incomprehensible speed at which much dialogue is delivered & you realize why there is no intermission - who would stay?
See it if You are a diehard fan of ERS. Although I am a fan of theirs this interpretation of Measure for Measure was disappointing.
Don't see it if You want a more traditional play without gimmicks and confusion. Also, over two hours without an intermission was very long in this case.
See it if you love Shakespeare in any form and are willing to tolerate an admittedly ambitious but enervating and slow production.
Don't see it if you want something fresh, entertaining, or stimulating. It tries, but ultimately is high energy going nowhere.
See it if You have to see every production of Measure on stage right now, regardless...wait, no you don’t! See Desperate Measures instead!
Don't see it if You love the language of Shakespeare.
Also Elevator Repair Service beyond horrible with Measure for Measure. Slur... Read more Read less
See it if Helps if you like Shakespeare comedies, helps if you know the text, helps if you like unique interpretations.
Don't see it if You don't know the play (you will miss much of it). You care for the issues (Weinstein anyone?), the emotion, the angst instead of sly jokes
See it if Elevator Repair Service - they of Gatz fame - meets Shakepare tackling judgement morality and justice in a manic but uneven production
Don't see it if You need your Shakespeare pure and don’t like modern updates in style speed costume and staging even with very inventive staging
See it if you love avant garde-ish theater. The text rules all here, and some of the performances are notable
Don't see it if you are not familiar with the plot or are not particularly quick at picking up plots (this one runs fast and free)
See it if ERS's ability to find and/or create clever and slapstick humor is unparalleled; company shows its great versatility in multiple roles
Don't see it if Attempt to distill a moderate Shakespeare piece cannot overcome its mediocrity despite the humor and stage creativity
See it if You adore anything by Shakespeare and can sit for over 2 hours with no break.
Don't see it if You only like traditional formats of Shakespeare plays. This was a fast paced comic rendition of this playwhich sadly missed the mark.
See it if you enjoy seeing unusual directorial "concepts" of Shakespeare plays, even if they are not always successful.
Don't see it if you love Shakespeare and think that his plays can be done in many ways but should always respect the integrity of the text.
Also One of the central concepts of this interpretation seems to be that th... Read more Read less
See it if you have the patience not to be thrown by a very eccentric production. There's terrific acting & some profound & funny moments buried here.
Don't see it if untraditional treatment of Shakespeare bothers you. Much of the slapstick is pointless & the production is disjointed & often irrational.
See it if you enjoy the quirky avant-garde work from ERS and dont mind teleprompter for Shakespeare
Don't see it if you prefer a traditional Shakespearean staging
See it if you want to see Mr. Shepherd do a bang up job as the Duke. See it if you want a condensed version of the play.
Don't see it if you have trouble hearing when actors are speaking at a rapid pace. Don't see it if you are expecting true Shakespeare.
Also If you are not familiar with the play, first see "Desperate Measures" ... Read more Read less
See it if you have a grasp of Measureand can follow actors changing characters quickly. It was fast paced and I found myself referring to the plot.
Don't see it if You can't sit through a two+hour show with no intermission
See it if experimental version of shakespeare play. slow at times. Two hours no intermission, great theater group with great talent. funny at times
Don't see it if if you are are tired of measure for measure or do not like video screen words and experimental theater