The Two Gentlemen of Verona (TFANA) NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (9)
See it if you are looking for some perfectly conveyed Shakespeare. Fiasco gives a beautiful, nuanced production of what is a fairly lightweight play.
Don't see it if you're expecting super-standard Shakespeare.
See it if you love when WS's work is boldly brought to life. I'm a huge fan of the Fiasco's work. Their stagings are imaginative, their acting strong
Don't see it if you dislike small cast, non-traditional WS. I think the bard would approve, tho. TGOV was a delight; well-worth traveling to Brooklyn for. Read more
See it if You like Shakespeare or comedy
Don't see it if the idea of going to a play makes you want to vomit.
See it if You're already a fan of Fiasco Theater's style (it was my first experience though & I saw this production many times & enjoyed each time).
Don't see it if You want your classic productions to remain as you've always seen them before. You don't like clowning or plays with songs.
See it if Don't fear BK, there's good theater to b had there! In this case, the Fiasco group were there and if Chemistry is all then they r Everything
Don't see it if Hey it's Shakespeare, if U don't like iambic penta., skip it. Same if don't like using your imagination to fill in the open walled scenery?
See it if You love Shakespeare's comedies
Don't see it if You don't like Shakespeare
See it if you enjoy Shakespeare and want to see a lively reimagined version of this play.
Don't see it if you aren't a Shakespeare fan.
See it if you want to see a completely original and modern understanding of a Shakespearean classic.
Don't see it if you hate Shakespeare.
Critic Reviews (24)
"With impeccable timing, Fiasco Theater’s frolicking production of 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' opened on Thursday night...Fiasco finds a beguiling continuity in the play’s erratic behavior...This production sees in the text a mirror for the irrationality that comes with being young, mercurial and at the mercy of metabolic changes that the sober mind can’t begin to make sense of."
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"But the real accomplishment is in giving the main plot a sense of substance...Even the infamously unplayable final scene—with its bizarrely fast forgiveness for heinous behavior, including an attempted rape—almost works. By then, Fiasco has inspired our indulgence. The company seeks and finds beauty in the literary discard pile."
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"Fiasco Theatre are content to demolish that fourth wall, and it serves this upbeat, charming take on Shakespeare’s early-life comedy quite well...You may not be in the midst of Fiasco’s finest hour(s) to date, but their unbridled enthusiasm is utterly infectious. Time goes by with thee most agreeably."
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"The comedy’s main claim to fame is that it’s widely assumed to be Shakespeare’s first play. Quality-wise, though, it’s not that great. Yet that seems to have inspired rather than deterred co-directors Jessie Austrian and Ben Steinfeld. They started by trimming the fat, cutting supporting characters so the show zips along at just over two hours...This accessible, fun 'Gentlemen' makes him feel like one of our own."
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"The Fiasco Theater’s brisk take on 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' is as bold and splashy as it is joyous. The troupe nips and tucks and gives this early Shakespeare romantic comedy the streamlined treatment... In lieu of of fancy trickery, there’s playful, low-tech stagecraft, like a delightful explosion of stationery."
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"The production is pleasant but rather bloodless. Though hardly the Bard's deepest work, 'Verona' does contain some dark undertones (Proteus nearly rapes Silvia before he is stopped by Valentine) which are here overlooked...These issues aside, the troupe deserves much credit for presenting the rarely-seen play, and I hope they will keep churning out simple but imaginative productions in the years ahead."
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"The simple story leaves much for its interpreters to reconcile. But in the style that has been slowly charming all of New York City, the folks of Fiasco do so with a whimsical levity, a self-deprecating sense of humor, and a stage that's been stripped down to its skivvies. The company pares down 'The Two Gentleman of Verona' to its barest bones, with just an encompassing mosaic of crumpled love letters to set the Italian scene."
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"Co-directed with great comic flair, this early effort by the Bard is filled with themes and characterizations that would come to greater fruition later in his career. So even though this is not Shakespeare at his best, what fun it is to see the budding elements of what would blossom down the road...as welcome as the long-awaited springtime weather."
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