Measure for Measure (TFANA)
Closed 2h 35m
Measure for Measure (TFANA)
78

Measure for Measure (TFANA) NYC Reviews and Tickets

78%
(48 Ratings)
Positive
81%
Mixed
15%
Negative
4%
Members say
Great acting, Great staging, Clever, Entertaining, Absorbing

About the Show

Theatre for a New Audience presents a new mounting of Shakespeare’s problematic dark comedy, a tale of irrepressible lust, impossible purity, and infuriating hypocrisy.

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Show-Score Member Reviews (48)

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258 Reviews | 104 Followers
84
Great acting, Edgy, Intelligent, Great staging, Quirky

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.

407 Reviews | 66 Followers
82
Great acting, Great staging, Entertaining, Quirky, Resonant

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

193 Reviews | 31 Followers
80
Clever, Delightful, Entertaining, Great acting, Masterful

See it if You like original productions with great staging, acting and directing

Don't see it if You're not a theater lover

317 Reviews | 109 Followers
78
Relevant, Refreshing, Clever

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)

61 Reviews | 9 Followers
77
Clever, Ambitious, Great acting, Resonant

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

104 Reviews | 37 Followers
77
Absorbing, Entertaining, Great acting, Quirky, Riveting

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

197 Reviews | 74 Followers
76
Great acting, Great staging, Entertaining, Oddly satisfying

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

812 Reviews | 132 Followers
76
Clever, Entertaining, Great staging

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

Critic Reviews (21)

Front Row Center
June 27th, 2017

“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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Stage Buddy
June 27th, 2017

“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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Front Mezz Junkies
June 25th, 2017

"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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Theatre's Leiter Side
June 26th, 2017

“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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Upstage-Downstage
July 1st, 2017

“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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Off Off Online
June 30th, 2017

“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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scribicide
June 25th, 2017

"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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The Stage (UK)
June 25th, 2017

"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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