The Rape of Lucrece NYC Reviews and Tickets

84%

(6 Reviews)

Positive

100%

Mixed

Negative

Members say

Intelligent, Absorbing, Resonant, Relevant, Long

About the Show

New York Shakespeare Exchange presents the world premiere of this stage adaptation of the Bard's famous narrative poem.

'The Rape of Lucrece' chronicles the tragedy of the title character, an aristocratic cousin of the King who is raped by his son, Sextus Tarquinius. Lucrece's subsequent suicide inspires a revolt which led to the establishment of the Roman Republic in 509 BC. This story not only dramatizes this gross act of entitlement, sexism, and sexual dominance, but the complicated aftermath of such violent acts. Resident playwright Kevin Brewer weaves his own original text in with the iambic pentameter of Shakespeare's language to create a piece that's both classic and contemporary.

Member Reviews (6)

Absorbing, Exquisite, Great acting, Great staging, Intelligent

See it if You would appreciate nouveau classic Shakespeare with a most talented cast

Don't see it if You only appreciate classic stagings of Shakespeare

Ambitious, Relevant, Intense, Uneven, Long

See it if You want to cheer on an ambitious new work based on Shakespeare. Insertions of some contemporary language don't always work, but kudos.

Don't see it if You would be traumatized by a graphic rape scene (even in the dark, it's hard to hear) and the victim's harrowing emotional aftermath

Critic Reviews (4)

"The cast of 'The Rape of Lucrece' is uniformly talented, featuring a number of young actors who grapple with the emotional complexity of the show with exceptional maturity...Director Cristina Lundy has supported the actors to make the most of the play’s uneven lines, smartly adapted by Kevin Brewer with admirable skill. Unfortunately, it is very apparent upon hearing certain tinny slant rhymes why 'The Rape of Lucrece' is not one of Shakespeare’s better-known works."
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"Brewer does a noble job of adapting the material into a solid Shakespearean structure without making the mistake of trying to mimic the style, which never works...To add dimension, Brewer, with the assist from Cristina Lundy’s fine direction, fleshes out secondary characters despite there being very little source material to work with (or none, as some figures never existed at all in the original)...The cast delivers the difficult material remarkably well."
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"The conclusion involves some questionable choices: a climactic scene of revenge that doesn’t reflect history; a sudden, unexpected betrayal by a hitherto loyal servant without an apparent grudge; and a new character whose identity is unclear...Though flawed and with a too-long first act, this workshop production by New York Shakespeare Exchange offers extremely impressive writing, skillful direction by Cristina Lundy, and some superb performances."
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"Much of this contemporary urgency is the credit of Kevin Brewer, who adapted the original Shakespearean poem. The ancient Roman world is fleshed out on the stage by characters with dead-language names speaking in Elizabethan verse. Yet nothing about it feels stuffy...From its most tragic verses to a rather silly chamber pot gag, the scenes are unfailingly well-acted...With a stellar cast and an ancient, captivating story that begs to be retold, the only pity is that it has such a short run."
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