A Midsummer Night's Dream (The Public Theater)

See it if you like to see a comedic Shakespeare play performed by actors who enjoy hamming it up for the audience. A new twist to a wonderful setting.

Don't see it if you do not like outdoor plays; cannot imagine unusual casting; have no sense of humor; want consistent accents; need perfection

Also Kristine Nielsen , Danny Burstein, Annaleigh Ashford, De'Adra Aziz, Kyle Beltran, Justin Cunningham, Phylicia Rashad, Robert Joy are wonderfully cast!
Everyone else is interesting and strange at the same time.
The play within a play is hilarious.
It is a little too long, but the production is not to be missed. The best part is that there were no political statements to mess this one up. Just pure entertainment and joy!!!... Read more Read less

See it if Ashford is unbelievable in this production. A few other actors were good as well. Great staging. Easy to understand. Enjoyable overall.

Don't see it if Many disappointing performances. Some casting choices, although bold, made the show awkward to watch. End drags. Could be shortened.

See it if A delight from beginning to end. Annaleigh Ashford was brilliant. Funny as hell. My favorite thing I've seen all summer. Magical.

Don't see it if I suppose if you don't get Shakespeare you might not care for it. But it's staged in such an accessible way, you might like it anyway.

Also I cannot say enough about this production. Annaleigh Ashford was the perfect Helena. The whole cast was superb. The staging was wonderful. There were little children sitting in front of me, and even they got it. I was absolutely transported.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of Annaleigh Ashford and can't miss one of her performances. She's remarkable, as are all the lovers.

Don't see it if you haven't enjoyed Lear deBessonet's Public Works productions in the past. This feels a bit like one of those.

See it if Hilarious perfs by Ashford, Nielsen and Burstein. Eye-popping costumes. Nice music. Faithful to the text. Nice rock music.

Don't see it if you don't want me camp added to your Shakespeare. Long (2 hours 40 mins) but I didn't mind. Other fine perfs by Rashad, Poe, Hiller

See it if you get a tix on a good weather night. Set is lovely. Some actors are good, some aren't (Theseus is awful). Ashford's funny, but very broad.

Don't see it if you want more than superficial entertainment. Poetry of WS's words is lost in the garish costumes/slapstick. Almost like children's theater.

Also The Delacorte productions often frustrate me. With all the money available and the acting talent eager to participate, why can't The Public produce really good Shakespeare? The Fiasco does. The Bedlam does. The Public should hire those companies to perform. I'm sick of seeing directors making campy, shticky choices to pander to the crowd. Really, a whoopee cushion? WS deserves better!... Read more Read less

See it if superb cast and setting. Lighting is gorgeous. performances outstanding. Burstein Rashad and Ashford are outstanding. Nielson is perfect

Don't see it if tickets are hard to get, can get rain on as it is outdoors . almost 3 hours in the park

See it if A "Dream" with elderly spirits & wrestling lovers shouldn't forgo Will's music for musical comedy hard sell. Obvious fun, but not ethereal.

Don't see it if U feel "Dream" doesn't need shtick but invention & subtle interpretation "that give delight, and hurt not." Comedy that clobbers is a pain.

See it if you're a fan of shakespeare or anyone in the cast. Truly fantastic performances, so so funny throughout! Very fun & creative production.

Don't see it if it's the middle of a heatwave. The theater really blocks the breeze and sitting in sweat for hours changes your experience negatively.

See it if you want a fun evening. Some excellent performances, if over the top, by Ashford & Burstein &Jeff Hiller. Rashad,& Alex Hernandez also good.

Don't see it if you are a Shakespeare purist. Some odd casting choices. Nielsen, a fine actress, was all wrong as Puck. Superannuated fairies, why?

See it if You enjoy comparing approaches taken to Shakespeare Want an evening of iconic New York entertainment There are a few standout performances

Don't see it if A long hot night in cramped chairs will bother you to distraction You only enjoy more modern interpretations of the Bard U hate large casts

Also This is a solid but somehow still boring production. It has some interesting innovations layered on to what is essentially a very traditional MSND.

There is a huge ensemble cast. I saw this in previews - I would say it was not ready for prime time. It just didn't feel magical. It has a lot of physicality and is a relatively bawdy & athletic interpretation - funny at first but tiring after a while.
That said there were a few stand out performances.
Danny Burstein as Nick Bottom is truly great and winds up making the play the inside the play more interesting than the main storyline. Annaleigh Ashford as Helena - is able to carry off tremendous expressions on that big stage and I very much enjoyed Kristine Neilsen as Robin Goodfellow (Puck.)... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a serviceable (sometimes enchanting, sometimes hilarious, mostly uneven) production of Shakes' classic romance.

Don't see it if you're a WS purist. Incongruous musical interludes, inconsistent performances, miscast Puck (!), plodding play w/in play mar the production.

See it if You enjoy childish "scene within a scene" plays and are able to follow super-confusing plots which are not explained well.

Don't see it if You want a fast-paced evening, as it runs 2 hours 42 minutes and feels significantly longer.

See it if you want to see the best Shakespear in the park ever

Don't see it if you dont like watching shows outdoors

See it if Disclaimer : only saw 45 minutes of it before rain got too much for me and my friend . What we saw, we loved.

Don't see it if You don't have the time to invest in waiting for tickets , but it's a winner

See it if You enjoy Shakespeare. Want to see a nice production in the park. Ashford lights up the stage and is wonderful!

Don't see it if Cast is uneven. Some are great, some not so much. Some scenes drag on, would have been fine with additional trimming.

See it if you like Shakespearean comedies, good acting and outdoor venues. As usual, Ashford steals the show and is hilarious. Excellent Burstein.

Don't see it if insects and hot weather are drawbacks (bring insect repellent). The production is fun but the director is still not sure of the play's flow

Also By curtain time, the staff was still unsure whether or not one, two or three of the songs would make it into the night's production. The same held true for additional aspects of the play. Director needs to decide and make her choice work. I feel the songs detract from the play and add unnecessary length.... Read more Read less

See it if you like the play (it's still there), with a great set, and wonderful Annaleigh Ashford and Danny Burstein, but

Don't see it if you think there's no need to tamper with Shakespeare. Adding loud, incomprehensible music and songs detracted from the performance.

See it if Music was great. Burstein terrific. Otherwise -Sluggish and over the top/sitcommish.

Don't see it if Acting by and large was very disappointing. Not cohesive. I felt like I was watching three separate plays.

See it if Magical glorious production of singular play in enchanting theater in the Park -outstanding Annaleigh Ashford Danny Burstein Phylicia Rashad

Don't see it if You don't like the Shakespeare in the Park experience - music and dancing in the comedies in a glorious setting

See it if to be outside watching shakespeare: it's always worth going. some funny bits, some shiny costumes, a bit of acrobatics, an elaborate set.

Don't see it if you are a purist and want an entirely traditional take on the play. A few modern asides, and some milking of gags, might annoy some.

See it if you enjoy Shakespeare in the Park and accept that usually both casting and "concept" tend to be uneven.

Don't see it if you are tired of productions that seem to think Shakespeare needs to be "fixed" even thought it isn't broken, and of self-absorbed actors.

Also Annaleigh Ashford is normally wonderful, but in this production she is too busy showing us how funny she is to bother playing Helena. Sometimes you can't even understand her words because she's so busy making them "funny"! Since most of the audience prefers her antics to Shakespeare, of course she will continue to do this. Phylicia Rashad is lovely and speaks the text beautifully. Danny Burstein is splendid as always - funny while doing the role Shakespeare wrote! I don't understand why the fairies are all old people but they are very good so I don't mind! Whatever Kristine Nielsen was trying to do with Puck, I didn't get it.... Read more Read less

See it if you love this eternal, enchanting play and adore Shakespeare in the Park; beautiful costumes & magical scenery;a night out under the NYC sky

Don't see it if you have strong opinions on how Shakespeare should be performed; you don't like gnats in your wine

Also I love Shakespeare in the Park and love this play in particular but found the show last night rather lackluster. Should have been merrier! I am all for The Public Theater's inventive casting, but Puck by a rather slow-moving, middle-aged woman didn't seem to fit the character nor did the high-pitched voice of Theseus.The 2 young couples were really fine.
I wondered why the director kept much of the action facing a certain section of the audience (where the patron seats are...?)Nevertheless, I am eternally thankful that we have this in our city.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see an enchanting staging of one of The Bard's classic works, shown outdoors and for free.

Don't see it if you have a hard time following Shakespearian dialogue, or just dislike this particular genre.

Also Shakespeare in the Park, once again impresses as A Midsummer Night's Dream takes the stage at the Delacourt.
Besides the classic Shakespearian flavor, we are treated to an updated staging that includes a jazzy, big band feel orchestra and the highly comedic talents of Annaleigh Ashford (Helena) and Danny Burstein (Nick Bottom). Both shine in their comic performances and emblazen the production.
The costumes are colorful and bold, the set ingenious and scant.
This a masterful staging of a classic work and screams to be seen.... Read more Read less

See it if You want to see a Shakesperean classic brought to life by an amazing cast. Annaleigh Ashford is flawless and Danny Burstein is hilarious.

Don't see it if You don't like Shakespeare or modern interpretations of his work. But this was a visual spectacular and well worth seeing.

Also I loved this show. The modern costumes and integration of contemporary music enhanced the show in my opinion, but Shakespearean purists may not appreciate the modernization of the material. Annaleigh Ashford was a delight to watch, but the whole cast was great. The sets were beautiful and I was impressed by how much they accomplished with lighting in this outdoor venue. This was my first time seeing Shakespeare in the Park, but it won't be my last. My only criticism is that toward the end, you really did begin to feel the length of the show (it clocked in at just under 3 hours). The play presentation by the rude mechanicals could have (and should have) been shortened.... Read more Read less