The Tempest (Public) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (35)
See it if You like Shakespeare and it's free.
Don't see it if you haven't read/seen the play beforehand to have a full understanding of what's going on.
See it if this is one of Will's must see plays
Don't see it if steps on all of Will's great lines Read more
See it if love Shakespeare and outdoors theater.
Don't see it if you like classically acted Shakespeare.
See it if you'd like a lovely night under the stars in Central Park.
Don't see it if you find Shakespeare a little dull unless it's done really, really well.
See it if You like Shakespeare and want to attend a fun outdoor theater event.
Don't see it if You're not a fan of Shakespeare. He's not my cup of tea, but some productions are still able to hold my attention; this isn't one.
See it if you enjoy watching (not well produced) Shakespeare in Central Park; live music worked will with the script; JTF was a standout
Don't see it if you've seen TEMPEST done well previously; you expect to see good direction; overall, actors were underutilized by lack of poor direction
See it if you really have nothing better to do. And you want to get drunk in the park and laugh at how bad this is.
Don't see it if you have little time to see a good show. or you have options to see pretty much anything else.
See it if You enjoy delightful musicals with large ensembles and beautiful costumes
Don't see it if you don’t enjoy Shakespeare.
Critic Reviews (25)
"The simple, effective staging only accentuates the location’s natural beauty...Cirque-esque elements lend a modern touch, and though the majority of the costumes are de rigeur, the two slaves’ bondage-evoking harnesses provide a frisson of excitement...Still, these positives aren’t enough to distract from the production’s hollow center, and even with all of the turmoil, it ends up as more of a light shower than a 'Tempest'."
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"A disappointing start with an ineffective, drawn-out, unusually cheap-looking production of the Bard's romantic drama 'The Tempest', led by Sam Waterston as Prospero...The acting ranges from decent to overblown and puzzling."
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"Greif opens his relatively straightforward production with a splendid storm of crashing thunder, flashing lightning, and sailors swinging precariously on ship rigging. It's a thrilling prologue to the events that follow...But the magic is lost in the final act, which glides the play into port so slowly that by the time wands are broken and harnesses removed, we're eager to get ashore."
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"This 'Tempest' feels strangely marooned, thanks to a series of hit-or-miss casting and design choices...In a production that often seems to be searching for a style and point of view, the presence of a great actor in his element proves to be the most magical component of all."
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"Greif has otherwise done well by 'The Tempest', his take being utterly unadventurous but thoroughly respectable...There are no breakout performances, merely a militia of chess pieces of similarly high strength...Chalk it up to yet another interesting, unexplored possibility in this 'Tempest', which, is satisfied and satisfying working at the highest levels of the commonplace"
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"Though director Michael Greif’s production of The Tempest is pleasant enough, neither is it particularly noteworthy. Yes, we venture with the players to this faraway and mysterious island; yes, we come to realize that even in a new world with infinite possibilities we will continue to encounter good and evil, for they are the essence of human nature; and yes, we agree, when all is said and done, that forgiveness and reconciliation is vital in a society."
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"'The Tempest' is full of pleasures both auditory and visual. There is a fabulous supporting cast who turn into a chorus of heavenly sirens. There is a terrifying, winged monster created through simple set pieces and vocal manipulation. With just the subtlest of suggestions, Shakespeare’s mysterious, fantastical island comes to life."
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"It is hard to avoid a tinge of disappointment. This 'Tempest' seems a tad tepid...The performances are not often more than competent...The production picks up in liveliness as the story progresses, with the nice addition of music, but it never quite makes up for the turgid first half. Still, 'The Tempest' is worth seeing."
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