Troilus and Cressida (Delacorte) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (148)
See it if u want a Classic tale about pawns & sacrificial lambs in "the fog of war" brought to modern times. EPIC battle scene! Glover & Stoll shine!
Don't see it if u have a low threshold for poorly written female characters: Cressida comes across as a schemer w/ karmic problems; Cassandra as hysterical.
See it if You enjoy outdoor theater that takes advantage of Central Park's great setting. You like well done modern takes on Shakespeare.
Don't see it if You don't like violence. There is a lot of fighting.
See it if you wanna see a great version of one of Shakespeare's less produced show. And if you love EPIC battle scenes.
Don't see it if you don't like Shakespeare. Obviously.
See it if You want to see a brilliant interpretation of one of Shakespeare's lesser performed works, no one does it better than the Public! And FREE!!
Don't see it if You only enjoy Shakespearean comedies or won't be able to keep yourself out of your Instagram account for 3 hours (ahem ppl in front of me)
See it if you're a fan of Shakeaspeare. It's been modernized in some ways but still feels like the real deal to me. I suggest you buy a seat cushion.
Don't see it if You can't bear the heat for three hours. It takes a while to get to the good stuff but once you get there it was worth the wait.
See it if you love Shakespeare and have never seen this show - overall, it's well done
Don't see it if you don't want to see a long show; you are expecting it to be about T&C, it is more a war/battle story
See it if You like Shakespeare that is relevant with great acting in a terrific setting. This production fixed many difficult parts of the plot.
Don't see it if you don't like Shakespeare or Shakespeare that is not staged traditionally. This is set in a modern setting.
See it if you love Shakespeare (esp. his lesser known hits), a strong cast, classic stories set in the modern era, and of course, gun fights.
Don't see it if you can't stand Shakespeare or a relatively slow first act. The smoke, lights, and gunshots may be too intense for some goers, as well.
Critic Reviews (34)
"Director Daniel Sullivan and an ace ensemble of actors make what works about the play really crackle. While the story can get a little heavy-handed, the evening boasts a fun assortment of performances as it barrels toward a horrific finish...Mendes gives a standout performance, giving Cressida a contemporary edge that contrasts with the romanticizing of war that comes out in the poetics and bravado of the men surrounding her."
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“Sullivan brings a remarkable order and clarity to those cankerous, often confused proceedings; if he can't supply a strong of sense of forward motion, he nevertheless knits the scenes into a starkly powerful vision. Sullivan has also assembled a superb cast who speak the verse with rare lucidity...It's not likely that we will get another production of ‘Troilus and Cressida’ that is this clear about what it wants to say - or one that is as mordant in saying it.”
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“Aggressive but unsteady new Public Theater production...This is an empty, bewildering play that seems to delight in saying nothing. It has a wonderful time doing it, and Sullivan has assembled a fine cast...Accentuating both Pandarus's intellectual and his lecherous sides, Glover crafts a unique portrait of a man who sees a great deal more than he can master...By trying to have too much, in other words, Pandarus ends up with nothing. So does Sullivan in the final analysis.”
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“While ‘Troilus and Cressida’ is rarely staged, Daniel Sullivan’s production
full of bombs and smoke suggests that in our time of endless wars it
speaks to us again, and the play’s cynicism also seems to capture the current
zeitgeist. It also features memorable performances from John Glover, John
Douglas Thompson, Max Casella, Sanjit de Silva, and Alex Breaux, among others.”
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"Director and designers deserve considerable credit for managing to surprise a New York audience, without resort to gimmickry…The entire cast is remarkably strong,..Thompson as Agamemnon, Hyland as Nestor, and Stoll as Ulysses transform Shakespeare's Greek leaders into convincing military bureaucrats of the present day…Glover appears to delight in every minute on stage. And when such a masterly actor enjoys himself, it's guaranteed the spectators will have a jolly time, too."
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"It’s up to a great director to guide this piece, and Sullivan handles it craftily...Aided by a powerful cast, he makes the opportunity to see this Shakespearean also-ran an unmitigated delight...It’s not really the story that grabs us in this production...Ultimately, it’s the (almost universally) stellar performances that make the play what it is...Considering how seldom this play is produced and how well it’s done, it’s worth the wait.”
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"Despite a few long-winded monologues from the Bard, and female roles that are far from satisfying, this powerful staging, with a veteran company that’s not fooling around, is Shakespeare in the Park at its best. 'T&C' is rarely produced to begin with; a production this solid should not be missed. Director Daniel Sullivan is at the top of his game in creating a cohesive and entertaining night out of what is often referred to as one of Shakespeare’s 'problem plays.'"
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"'Troilus and Cressida' is not a work with great emotional resonance, but Sullivan’s extremely cogent, beautifully acted production never fails to involve us. Much of the credit is due to the large cast, as practically each performer has been ideally chosen for his or her role...There are no fancy magic tricks here. And while the modern dress costumes and 21st-century props never feel completely organic, they eventually cease to matter much...The play truly is the thing."
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