The Bard in Battery Park

As luck would have it, I was able to attend a performance of the New York Classical Theatre’s production of ‘King Lear’ in Battery Park last evening. It so happens that my uncle’s partner Andrew was playing the part of The Fool, so the incentive to see this production was greater than normal.

The New York Classical Theater performs classic plays for free, outdoors in New York parks. The company performs in Central Park and Battery Park. The audience must move with the actors and the plays are staged in several different areas of the parks.

Seeing Shakespeare in the park is a great experience, especially the way it is done by the NYCT. The audience moves frequently at the cues given by actors that are incorporated into the dialogue of the play. Sometimes the action will move directly behind the audience, and people in the back row find themselves in the front row and must quickly sit down or scramble out of the way.

The Bard’s great poetic words are a joy any time or place, and Andrew was outstanding as The Fool. If you do not see some free Shakespeare this summer in New York, you are missing out.

A Good Night in Hell('s Kitchen)

My latest column is now online on Kotori Magazine’s Web site. It documents a fine evening several weeks ago when a friend and I organized a group to drink in Hell’s Kitchen’s finest dives.

The victor of the night was most definitely The Holland Bar. There were some bars we didn’t make it to. Rudy’s is a great bar but it was way too crowded. Collins Bar was not on our itinerary but I’ve been there and it is indeed a fine place. Siberia was shuttered.

Hell’s Kitchen is a very interesting neighborhood and I’ve always been fascinated by its dive bars. They, like quality dive bars everywhere, are a dying breed. Support them at every opportunity.

Let me know if you disagree with any of my assessments here or if there are any glaring omissions.