Coriolanus at the Public

[JennH]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 2:13pm

Can anyone speak to how long lines have been at the Delacorte for this? I somehow didn't realize that the theater itself is the ONLY place where you get guaranteed tickets, I could have sworn the Public itself was also guaranteed, but nope, it's an in person lottery. Still haven't been able to see a SitP production in my few years here which is tragic. But also living in deep Brooklyn and getting up at potentially god knows what hour to wait in line until noon doesn't thrill me by any means either...

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 2:27pm

A good thing to keep in mind is that, unless there’s a celebrity in the cast or particularly stellar reviews, it’s actually pretty easy to score a ticket if you line up later in the distribution line.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 2:45pm

I saw it last night, and there was no distribution line. You could literally just walk up and get a ticket, as it wasn't sold out. That's exactly what I did at around 7:40.

I'm not sure if this was due to the heat, or if this has been the norm throughout the run so far. The performance was well attended, but there were still empty seats after it began.

It's a very worthwhile, no-frills kind of Shakespeare production. Jonathan Cake and Kate Burton are both especially good.

[supersam1026]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 2:46pm

Got there at 10:15am yesterday (7/29) and he no problem getting a ticket at 12 when the box office opened.

When I was going into the show at 7:40pm there was no sold out sign, no standby line, and heard that they actually had tickets left that they were giving out. No idea if this is the norm, but that’s what it was for a humid, Monday night!

[little_sally]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 2:53pm

What is the current running time for this?

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 2:54pm

How is the diction? I saw CORIOLANUS at the Delacorte back in the early 1980s (with the fabulous Gloria Foster), when Joe Papp was doing his "Shakespeare is the voice of the people" thing and each member of the cast spoke in whatever was his or her native dialect. The result--aside from Miss Foster--was a cacophony of Spanglish (with which I have no problem in Chicano plays), what we would now call "Ebonics", Lawn Guyland-ese, etc.

It was the only time in my life when as the lights came up at intermission, everyone in my party turned toward the others and said as one, "Can we go now, please?" Absolutely painful.

[raddersons]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 2:55pm

Coriolanus isn't exactly the kind of show that's gonna have people scrambling for tickets. Hell, I don't think most people have ever heard of it. I think that's the biggest reason why there's still tickets left. Not to mention that the first week or so it's always pretty easy to get tickets -- once word of mouth builds, it's a little more difficult. 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 2:58pm

Everybody who has seen KISS ME, KATE has heard of it. Just saying.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 3:38pm

little_sally said: "What is the current running time for this?"

About 2:45, give or take a few minutes, but it's very well paced.

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 3:51pm

Coriolanus isn't exactly the kind of show that's gonna have people scrambling for tickets. Hell, I don't think most people have ever heard of it. I think that's the biggest reason why there's still tickets left. 

Exactly. I don't know a thing about it nor do I care.

[little_sally]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 4:00pm

EllieRose2 said: "Coriolanus isn't exactly the kind of show that's gonna have people scrambling for tickets. Hell, I don't think most people have ever heard of it. I think that's the biggest reason why there's still tickets left.

Exactly. I don't know a thing about it nor do I care."

And there's nobody in the cast that is going to draw a huge audience.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/30/19 at 6:35pm

I went last week and thought the production was ok-to-bad.

Jonathan Cake (along with the director, presumably) made one of the most bizarre character interpretations I’ve ever seen onstage. I found it extremely grating from the moment he opened his mouth to his final lines. It made thematic sense, but it was done in such a cartoonish way that it felt way over the top, and totally mismatched with the rest of the performances.

Aside from that, I thought the production was fine, with some strong moments. But ultimately lacking in vision and coherence. For example, the division in class is very important to the play, and yet every character seemed to be dressed in tattered, dirty clothing, regardless of whether they were common people or elite. The design felt more like an aesthetic overlay than an actual directorial vision.

Daniel Sullivan’s production of Troilus and Cressida was one of the most thrilling Shakespeare productions I’ve ever seen, so I had high hopes for this one. But for me it fell pretty flat.

[lila12]

Posted: 7/31/19 at 12:08am

JBroadway said: "I went last week and thought the production was ok-to-bad.
 

I also saw it last week and 100% agree with your thoughts. In addition to your points on Jonathan Cake and the costumes I also did not care for the lighting or set. On a positive note, Kate Burton was very good - easily the best part of the show.

While I appreciate any night at the Delacorte, this one was disappointing -  which is a shame right before the multi year refurb. 

Updated On: 7/31/19 at 12:08 AM

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 7/31/19 at 12:34am

I just saw it tonight, and agree with a lot of what the two posters above me said. I'll start by saying I loved the sound design, and thought the lighting was fantastic. The set design was well done, but the costume design I didn't care for at all - the board shorts over pants look that the majority of the men were sporting was a bizarre choice.

And on the topic of the set & costume design, the apocalyptic design theme that they're going for here (which feels like the fifth time in as many years) is starting to wear thin. While I liked the set design for what it was, I'd like to see them move on to a new style of design for the dramas that they choose to set in modern day clothing.

The show was well cast, Tom Nelis and Kate Burton being my personal favorites in the group, and Jonathan Cake being a weird mixture of liking some of what he was doing, but being too distracted by his diction and delivery of lines to be able to really say I enjoyed his performance. I have no idea what he or the director were going for by having him do that, but it was hugely distracting, especially when combined with the mic they put on him, which I believe was a liquid resistant design, and really accentuated the higher pitched sound coming through it, leading to an odd robotic quality.

Overall, I can't say I regret seeing this, but I didn't get much from it. If this is going to be my last show in the Delacorte before they refurbish it, I'd rather have skipped it and left Much Ado as my last memory in this theater.

[lila12]

Posted: 7/31/19 at 11:52pm

thedrybandit said: And on the topic of the set & costume design, the apocalyptic design theme that they're going for here (which feels like the fifth time in as many years) is starting to wear thin. While I liked the set design for what it was, I'd like to see them move on to a new style of design for the dramas that they choose to set in modern day clothing.

This cannot be said enough - totally agreed!!

I’m glad the lightening has improved from the hot mess it was last week. I am pretty sure I have never made a comment about lighting before when seeing a show but there seemed to be a lot of mistakes (or off timing?) in the performance I was at and it was distracting.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/1/19 at 12:47am

The refurb is news!!!

[chuckydisc]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 12:38pm

JennH said: "I somehow didn't realize that the theater itself is the ONLY place where you get guaranteed tickets."

The vouchers you get at the Borough Distributions are also guaranteed assuming you get to the box office between 5PM and 7:30PM.

[metjetboy13]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 2:51pm

Does anyone know if tonight’s show is sold out?

[chuckydisc]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 6:29pm

metjetboy13 said: "Does anyone know if tonight’s show is sold out?"

Call the box office.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 9:21pm

Cake was absolutely dreadful. Kate Burton was lovely. The play is definitely one of Shakespeare’s weakest. I couldn't wait for this one to end. Painful from top to bottom.

[rg7759]

Posted: 8/3/19 at 9:41pm

agreed about cake. i can appreciate when an actor is at least putting effort in, but he was just wrong for this. still a good production but this one isn't about the acting. but timing wise (hopefully not permanent brain damage), it seems like the heat wave set them back at least a full week, because when i went this week it had a few hints of sloppyness id expect from a 1st or 2nd preview.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 12:49am

SouthernCakes said: "The refurb is news!!!"

The Delacorte renovation project was announced last October.

According to the initial NYTimes announcement, the Summer 2020 season would be the final in the "old" Delacorte, but for Summer 2021 "the Public is planning to offer free programming at an undetermined site." As of October, they still had to raise about $90 mil of the total $110 pricetag.

[GeorgeandDot]

Posted: 8/4/19 at 3:35pm

Hopefully they do something about those child sized high chairs that they're using for seats. I'm a small person and the seat was still noticeably small. The average sized gentlemen around me were practically bursting out of their seats. The person I was with ended up with a bruise on her hips from the armrest.

[cjmclaughlin10]

Posted: 8/10/19 at 10:18am

I am on my way into the city and looking for a single tonight I already entered Today Tix and will do the in person lotto at The Public but won’t be able to get to the park until 4-430. If anyone has an update on availability at the park or has a ticket they can’t use for tonight, please let me know