Shakespeare on the subway?

[scripps]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 12:24am

Sitting on the Q train today and was treated to a performance of HENRY V from Dekalb to Canal by a group of well rehearsed and adept-at-weaving-through-straphangers actors. Anyone know anything about this troupe? Unfortunately, I googled and could find nothing concerning this guerrilla Shakesepeare. I was tempted to get off and strike up conversation and ask a few questions but was running late as it was. Going over the Manhattan Bridge listening to a rousing St. Crispin's Day speech surely made my day. Thanks.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 10:39am

You're lucky. I only ever get people who rap. Badly.

Posted: 1/30/11 at 10:45am

Could it be the folks behind either Shakespeare in the Park or Shakespeare in the Parking Lot, raging against the elements keeping them indoors?

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 10:51am

haha- CapnHook, what line are your bad rappers on? I ride the 1 and on varying days I get either a semi-decent mariachi band or a pretty ok black bee-bop group. I actually think it's a pretty talented train line...

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 11:23am

Hmm, this sounds very interesting. I'd love to find out!

I'm also on the one train....love the mariachi band.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 12:14pm

I am waiting for Rockaby Hamlet on the subway.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 1:05pm

"pretty ok black bee-bop group." Do they only sing This Little Light of Mine? That is the group I always get.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 1:20pm

haha- no! I actually have never recognized the songs that they sing. They seem to switch them up every once in a while.


haha- yup- the mariachis are pretty cool. I know it's a good day when I get them coming home from work instead of one of the many 'drummers' that sometimes come through.

[wonkit]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 1:26pm

Or the guy on the shuttle who "plays" the flute. If I don't have a headache when I get on the train, I usually do by the time I get off.

[HummingAlong]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 6:38pm

lucky! sounds amazing...i only ever get the candy sellers...

[singtopher]

Posted: 1/30/11 at 8:36pm

I'd probably enjoy the Shakespeare. I saw another Doo-Wop quartet (different than the "this little light of mine" group) yesterday who were sensational.

On the N/Q we always have a basket ball coach who looks for smiles and an older lady dressed like the crazy cat lady from THE SIMPSONS who alternates playing and singing "La Cucaracha" on the Caliope.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 1/31/11 at 3:07pm

"an older lady dressed like the crazy cat lady from THE SIMPSONS who alternates playing and singing "La Cucaracha" on the Caliope."

On the Calioppe? What a great image, but you've got to kidding. Either that, or that word does not mean what you think it means. :)

I get an array of entertainment. There's a young African American man who plays the violin. There's a group of very athletic young men who dance to a boombox. A homeless guy who sings Mathis. No Shakespeare, yet.

I remember the guy on the '70's who dressed up as an alien and played saxaphone. He said he'd crash-landed here and was collecting money to fix his spaceship so he could leave. Haven't seen him since the early '80's. Guess he got his ship fixed.

[temms]

Posted: 1/31/11 at 7:47pm

Oh my God, I HAAAATTTTEEE the mariachi guys! They're always on the L. It ruins my ride whenever the doors slam shut and I suddenly see them and they start that first strum... It's what I imagine the train to hell sounds like. Which some would argue the L Train is, but...

The "This Little Light" guys are cool, though. My favorite is probably the guy in the tunnel between 6th and 7th Ave on 14th St. who plays Beatles songs and usually has one half of his head shaved close and the other half grown out so he has a sort of half-afro. He's always doing some obscure, unexpected Beatles song and smiling broadly.

And I'm always impressed by the guy that brings an actual spinet piano onto the subway platform. That's dedication.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 1/31/11 at 7:52pm

I think the caliber of talent on the platforms is greater than on the trains. I've seen some quality guitar players and singers on the 1 platforms. There's one guitar guy who seems to frequent the 50th 1 Uptown platform right at around the time shows get out at night, and he's quite good!

[bwayfan7000]

Posted: 1/31/11 at 8:02pm

When I was getting off the (I believe) 1 a few weeks ago, there was this young girl who was singing opera, and very beautifully. Has anyone ever seen her?

[broadwaybaby086]

Posted: 1/31/11 at 8:11pm

singtopher, I used to live on the N in Astoria and hated that woman (it's a melodica, btw), and also the man who plays something similar and then growls "Laaadies and gentlemen, please make your donations." Ehhh. *shudder*

[Popeye and Cloudy]

Posted: 2/23/11 at 3:56pm

Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for all the love. We were psyched to dig this thread up on the web. We go by Popeye and Cloudy and are a two-man collaborative. We do mostly Shakespeare, yes. We haven't got to Henry V yet, but so far run three scenes, including an original comedy and two Shakespeare scenes, one from Hamlet and the other from Julius Caesar. Both Fred (Jones) and I (Paul Marino) switch characters, so that we each play up to 6 roles in a given hour, a number that is growing. We don't have a website. The fleeting nature of the act is best kept a rumor till one chances upon it. You are likely to catch us anywhere, and hopefully if you see us twice, you see different scenes or roles. We currently busk like this about 20 hours per week, all over the city, and we continue to try new train lines and new times of day. So, hopefully we'll see you soon!

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 2/23/11 at 4:01pm

I think the caliber of talent on the platforms is greater than on the trains. I've seen some quality guitar players and singers on the 1 platforms. There's one guitar guy who seems to frequent the 50th 1 Uptown platform right at around the time shows get out at night, and he's quite good!

There was a really good female guitarist in the tunnel connecting the Lexington Avenue 53rd Street M station with the 51st Street 6 station last week. But today it seemed like we were back to the fairly talented pan pipe player who I'm always convinced is playing selections from Evita.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/23/11 at 5:28pm

So glad the mystery has been solved! I'm gonna look forward to some Shakespeare on the train from now on.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 2/23/11 at 5:38pm

What a cool project! Try to visit the 1 sometime soon! I'd for sure support some quality Shakespeare busking.

[Popeye and Cloudy]

Posted: 2/23/11 at 6:48pm

We do the 2/3 between 42nd and 72nd quite a bit. it's a solid 3 minutes uninterrupted, but we have done the 1. see you sooner ot later!

[thismyshow]

Posted: 5/27/11 at 1:38am

got to see these guys on the L yesterday around 2pm, was so excited having read this thread prior and while it took me a few seconds to figure out wtf was happening i was very happy to get to experience this. totally worth the 2 dollar bill i gave them