William Shakespeare

'Much Ado' Star Jonathan Cake on Shakespeare and Why Comedy Is Scary

Cake is winning again with his critically-lauded portrayal of Benedick in the Bard's famous battle of wits "Much Ado About Nothing" at Theatre For a New Audience.

'Henry IV, Part 1' Best for First Timers

The Pearl’s perfectly serviceable production of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, Part 1” is slightly outshone by its sets and costumes and the company’s gleaming new permanent home.

'As You Like It' Joyfully Celebrates the Art of Theater

“Accessible” has become a dirty word where Shakespeare is concerned, but the Acting Company’s production of “As You Like It,” at the New Victory, exuberantly livens up the Bard.

Uneven 'Much Ado About Nothing' Still Delights

Jonathan Cake’s Benedick emerges victorious in the amorous skirmishes of Theatre for a New Audience’s handsome but unbalanced rendering of Shakespeare‘s “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Minimalist 'Hamlet' Provides Maximum Effect

With this high-energy, minimalist, four-actor edition of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” the theater ensemble Bedlam renders a passionate but richly textured Denmark for the ages.

'Women of Will' Offers a Female Perspective on Shakespeare

“Women of Will,” at the Gym at Judson, playwright-actor Tina Packer’s enlightening and delightful survey of Shakespeare’s female characters, could nevertheless stand less lecturing.

'I, Malvolio' Mixes Cool Sophistication and Youthful Warmth

Tim Crouch’s “I, Malvolio,” a shrewdly clever portrait for young people of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” from a minor character’s point of view, has a split personality.

Dance Troupe Kidd Pivott's 'The Tempest Replica' Reimagines Shakespeare

Bursting with visual originality, passion, and mystery, Kidd Pivott’s “The Tempest Replica,” a choreographic retelling of Shakespeare’s play, at the Joyce Theater, is mesmerizing.

Simon Russell Beale Is Electric in 'Timon of Athens'

Director Nicholas Hytner and star Simon Russell Beale make Shakespeare’s “Timon of Athens” a contemporary cautionary tale of ruthless capitalism in this dazzling NT Live broadcast.

A 'King Lear' Played Too Much for Laughs

Stephen Mo Hanan, an actor deservedly celebrated for his comic work in musicals, stumbles taking on the title role in American Bard Theater Company’s only serviceable “King Lear.”