Merry Wives (Public Theater) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (113)
See it if you enjoy madcap comedy, Shakespeare comedies and adaptations of his plays. If you plays centering on the African diaspora in Harlem.
Don't see it if you don't enjoy Shakespeare or only enjoy Shakespeare productions which are faithful to the original play. This is very much an adaption. Read more
See it if You like great new interpretations of Shakespeare that are only funny and never forced, with an amazing set that incorporates the park.
Don't see it if You are a very rigid Shakespeare purist (some of the lines are taken out of iambic pentameter). Read more
See it if You want to see a brilliant & refreshing adaptation of this play! The costume changes alone are reason to attend! So fun! The cast is A+!
Don't see it if You are expecting a very traditional staging of this Shakespeare comedy. It is perfectly set, intelligently voiced and given such vibrancy!
See it if well,it is gone but if the entire company had spent the whole pandemic preparing this amazement of a production, anyone would believe it.
Don't see it if you don't like wonderful theater from start to finish -- acting, staging, everything -- go watch TV instead. Read more
See it if you love a wonderfully updated version of a funny Shakespeare play! Great acting, wonderfully written, great staging...Magical lighting!
Don't see it if you don't enjoy Shakespeare!
See it if you want fast-paced, abbreviated Shakespeare that comes alive in the uptown African diaspora of Harlem as different accents and rhythms mix.
Don't see it if a dutiful adaptation of a Shakespeare play.
See it if for a refreshing, relevant take on one of the Bard's less-known comedies. Costumes = wonderful, rework = funny, acting = awesome.
Don't see it if You're a Shakespeare purist or don't like outdoor theater.
See it if You enjoy clever contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare, shows with a Caribbean flair that take place in Harlem; enjoy the Delacorte
Don't see it if Prefer your Shakespeare to be strictly classical, can't imagine this play re-set in Harlem, afraid of the mixed English-Latinx dialogue
Critic Reviews (6)
"A big comedy when we really needed one after a small, grim year, yet also a play celebrating Black life in America, when we really needed that as well...an across-the-board excellent ensemble!"
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"4/5 stars!...Joy radiates from the exuberant Merry Wives...More than ever, these artists want to entertain and uplift, and audiences are eager to enjoy their efforts."
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"To say that director Ali (resident director at The Public) has assembled a stageful of talent is an understatement. Happily, he sets them all firing sparks in tandem. He also pulls exceptional work from his design team."
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"Saheem Ali’s direction pulls the elements together in a seamless and often hilarious and definitely welcomed production...A brilliant way to return to the theatre. Get there if you can. It will do your heart good."
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"Bioh understands this and turns the Bard’s revenge comedy into something warmer (and, at 110 minutes without an intermission, shorter), though keeping the main plots, subplots and convoluted comic busy-ness."
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"Bioh also turns the incongruous Midsummer Night’s Dream–like final-scene fairy pageant into something more than spectacle."
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