Pericles: Born in a Tempest
Closed 1h 30m
Pericles: Born in a Tempest
83

Pericles: Born in a Tempest NYC Reviews and Tickets

83%
(47 Reviews)
Positive
94%
Mixed
4%
Negative
2%
Members say
Great acting, Clever, Absorbing, Great staging, Intelligent

About the Show

Hunger & Thirst Theatre and the Guerrilla Shakespeare Project production pares down Shakepseare's sprawling tale, distilling the rarely-produced romance into a heartwarming story of the rejuvenating power of family.

Read more Show less

Member Reviews (47)

Sort by:
  • Default
  • Standing in our community
  • Highest first
  • Lowest first
  • Newest first
  • Oldest first
  • Only positive
  • Only negative
  • Only mixed
982 Reviews | 343 Followers
70
Ambitious, Well-cut, Good set/effects, Uneven pace, Occasionally too broad

See it if you want Pericles made accessible by significant trimming. Well-spoken WS, well-acted. Imaginative. clever direction. Hard-working cast.

Don't see it if you expect a highly polished piece. Broad portions (eg the suitors' battle) undermine the flow. Framing device takes up too much time/space. Read more

563 Reviews | 194 Followers
85
Clever, Entertaining, Quirky, Great staging, Delightful

See it if You want a streamlined, modern take on Shakespeare. You want to see a classical play performed by a well-trained cast.

Don't see it if You want to see the full, uncut, 5-act version of Pericles. You don't like intimate spaces & a small cast playing multiple roles.

520 Reviews | 107 Followers
3
Confusing, Disappointing, Excruciating, Overrated

See it if You like to see actors playing many different roles. The use of the prop playing the fake baby is the best I have seen

Don't see it if You’re like me and have never been able to understand anything this Shakespeare idiot has ever done. Why do people pretend they like this? Read more

391 Reviews | 133 Followers
68
Slow, Intelligent, Sincere, Confusing, Compassionate

See it if you’ll watch a small troupe’s valiant, thoughtful effort at making Pericles engaging; you can wait until the very end to be drawn in.

Don't see it if you‘re hoping for “translated” Shakespeare. This is Shakespeare’s text and closer to Pericles than I expected—but abbreviated & rearranged. Read more

302 Reviews | 86 Followers
95
Absorbing, Entertaining, Great acting, Great staging, Great writing

See it if you like a modern adaptation of a play attributed in part to Shakespeare imbedded in contemporary plot, art video, creative staging/action

Don't see it if you prefer musicals, can't sit 90 min. or understand Elizabethan English even if articulated slowly, or you dislike adaptations of classics

308 Reviews | 56 Followers
75
Great staging, Uneven

See it if Staging is very imaginative & effective-projections, physicality, color coordinated costumes, etc.Some terrific performances(esp K.Metzger)

Don't see it if One very weak actor and one overblown scene by another kind of killed this play for me. +I didn't understand the device framing the play Read more

271 Reviews | 67 Followers
85
Absorbing, Clever, Entertaining, Funny, Sweet

See it if You’d like to see a distilled, energetic Tempest.

Don't see it if You like your Shakespeare pure. Read more

245 Reviews | 37 Followers
84
Absorbing, Ambitious, Clever, Entertaining, Great acting

See it if You want to see a revamped tale from Shakespeare. You want to see a story from a dead narrators perspective. Also great graphics.

Don't see it if You are a Shakespeare purist. Although traditional dialogue is used, the costumes are not.

Critic Reviews (8)

Theatre is Easy
November 9th, 2017

"A heartwarming rendition of 'Pericles'...Director Jordan Reeves manages to achieve clarity in this complex story with delicious simplicity, while liberally applying whimsical, contemporary references...The production features a team of captivating performers who commune in verse but make it sound so natural that they might as well be your next-door neighbors...I was overjoyed to witness the story being told in such a palatable and moving way."
Read more

Front Row Center
November 7th, 2017

“A unique and compelling, psychologically sound, serious and often hilarious story of loss, struggle and ultimate redemption through the resolution of conflict that only profound understanding can achieve...Beautifully conceived and directed...The stellar company of actors...profoundly skilled...physically adept...able to bring forth complex serious emotions as well as hilarious surprises. They handle the language with perfect precision and clarity."
Read more

Front Mezz Junkies
November 5th, 2017

"The story takes off far beyond the simple reading of the text. It takes us to places and times with an ease...The creative team, the cast, and the director all work wonders balancing the mythical fantasy and the reality of these four mourners with a perfectly timed expertise...Thanks to some inventive direction wonderfully executed by the creative team and cast, we are given a solid charmer of a play."
Read more

The Huffington Post
November 8th, 2017

“A transcendental adult fairy tale. The creators indeed honor Shakespeare’s original vision, complete with the Bard’s genuine dialogue. But through this new re-imagining by creator/director Reeves, THIS ‘Pericles’ takes on a vibe that’s both fantastical and heart-tuggingly real...Accented with humor and performed with zest by a young cast...Hunger & Thirst prove that imagination— with a good dose of creative passion— can go a long way in reinventing a classic.”
Read more

C
November 12th, 2017

"One of the biggest payoffs for this intimate approach comes when the show complicates Pericles' climactic reunion in a clever and emotionally powerful way. On a lighter note, it also allows amusing speculation for the audience...The cast play their multiple roles with aplomb...'Pericles: Born in a Tempest' is lively, funny, and affecting: a great opportunity to hear an old song newly sung."
Read more

W
November 7th, 2017

“A powerful piece about family that will leave a lingering impression if not an ache in the heart...The cast comprises only five performers...all notably skilled actors...Reeves’s choice to make this a story-in-a-story at first seemed awkward and unnecessary, but by play’s end it’s the relationship established in those first minutes that connects Shakespeare’s story with the audience, making it living and visceral...A surpassingly good piece of independent theater.”
Read more

A Work Unfinishing
November 5th, 2017

"While the play is a little slow to start...it bounds into liveliness once 'Pericles' himself joins the party. The spell cast by the storytellers then reaches its full potency...Director Reeves synthesizes what should be disparate styles into the only elixir which could coax this woman out of her grief - the joy of play, and the romantic sweep of the story...The cast is uniformly strong...The dichotomy of the storytelling is beautifully rendered by the contrast within the design."
Read more

M
November 8th, 2017

“A play within a play, 'Pericles' is stripped to the essentials with a reimagining of a seafarer’s adventure...Reeves’ concept and direction, along with the design team, was thoughtful, creative and respectful of the space...Together, all the elements of the production (sound, projection, lighting, costumes) created a subtext that allowed the story to unfold. This was a well-crafted production with talented cast to support it.”
Read more