See it if you like bold takes on the Bard by engaging, all-in cast & have bandwidth to take in dense text and time (3 hours if you take in "pre-show")
Don't see it if you're not ready for steady barrage of text, wild-at-time theatrics, charming interactive elements, intimate staging, or energetic cast.
See it if enjoy well done translations/interpretations of Shakespeare. Story is fair but actors put it over
Don't see it if you are a Shakespeare purist
See it if You like original productions with great staging, acting and directing
Don't see it if You're not a theater lover
See it if You enjoy modern takes on Shakespeare with clever directing choices.
Don't see it if You want a balanced cast (found the Duke to be an unclear actor)
See it if you love Shakespeare re-invented and staged in novel ways with contemporary spins on the themes.
Don't see it if you like your Shakespeare traditionally realized Read more
See it if You want to see """""""Measure for Measure""""""" (and also great acting)
Don't see it if You want to see "Measure for Measure" Read more
See it if you want to see a well-acted, nicely staged, very creative presentation of a fairly bad play. All leads outstanding.
Don't see it if you expect high-end traditional Shakespeare, don't appreciate bawdy humor, know/hate this awkward play Read more
See it if you like great staging of Shakespeare's plays. This company is great at staging and Polonsky theater is ideal for Shakespeare.
Don't see it if you don't like Shakespeare or play Measure for Measure. I think the dialogue for this play is Shakespeare's worst. Read more
“The minimalist environment helps one to focus on the poetry of the text, but its music is hampered by the hodgepodge of accents. Jonathan Cake has the greatest success with the text…A group of talented, quick-witted supporting actors cavort through the narrative with verve and color. Each makes a mark…I found the play too long...it really became burdensome. The energy and focus of the talented cast, however, carried us through the few dragging moments.”
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“Though Godwin's production may not do much to broaden the horizons of the play, and, yes, got a li'l gimmicky, it certainly tells an awesome story well…This production distinguishes itself with some seriously great acting…Shakespeare is rewarding because the works are rich with characters and dynamics and scenarios that cross-mingle morally and ethically and emotionally, creating a web of a good time. 'Measure for Measure' certainly fulfills all of this in its own charming way.”
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"I’m in love with the poetry of Shakespeare, but this play just seemed more accessible. The music, performed by the magnificent band is just as engaging and unique, adding soul to the flavor and the festivities...This provocative production quite readily brings to mind our own highly polarized world...A beautifully crafted production of a complex and problematic play. Repression, lust, hypocrisy, and disturbing sexual politics has never been so much fun or more wildly brought forth."
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“Swiftly paced and vigorously, if not subtly, performed…It's filled with the kind of novel touches we expect in such modern-dress affairs…Too much of the dialogue, though, is delivered in rapid, full-throated, rhetorical style;…actors tend to shout at rather than talk with one another…'Measure for Measure' comes, unfortunately, at a moment when it can't help being trumped by a production that received remarkable attention even though many wouldn't give two pence for it.”
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“If you accept that, at its heart, it actually is a comedy, you will find much to like in director Godwin's interpretation…Godwin leans toward the comic, playing up the clowning elements and downplaying, as much as possible, the play's darkness. Things get a bit muddied as a result, and the production goes overboard by drumming up audience participation…Fun stuff, but it doesn't add much to the overall experience or shed light on the proceedings. Still the cast is a strong one.”
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“Godwin’s production takes liberties, and many are smart. (The problem plays usually benefit from a bit of roughing up, although here the themes of lust and moral hypocrisy are still contemporary)…A strong cast boosts the production...Some problems can’t be made fresh…The production’s comedy is less successful...Godwin goes all out for a classic ending…It’s a measure of the production’s virtues that the resolution stretches credibility less than usual."
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"I do wish directors would be more willing to embrace the ‘Measure for Measure’ I find in this text, the one where Isabella (Cara Ricketts) is sexually blackmailed, deceived into believing her brother is dead, and finally forced into marriage with the man who is responsible for all of this. Vincentio ends the play by cheerfully announcing the nuptials that are practically a requirement for Shakespearean comedy, but it is always Isabella's silence that I find most compelling."
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"Godwin’s music-driven production contains twangy electric guitars and such a large number of silicone penises that they demand a unique collective noun...Among the diverse ensemble, Thigpen and LaVoy stand out. Though, elsewhere, the imprecise caricatures intended as the comic relief start to grate...Ricketts’ virtuous Isabella is pressured and abused but never breaks. It’s a poised and formidable performance."
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