How to Picnic at Shakespeare in the Park

Last night, having planned to go to see "Into the Woods" at the Delacorte and finding it not on, Anne Croly and I went to an alternate free "Shakespeare in the Park" performance of "Richard III" at the Soldiers & Sailors Monument up on 89th & Riverside. No wait for a chit for our free seats and no crowds. There's a natural amphitheatre on the north side of the monument and the Hudson Warehouse thoughtfully provides stadium cushions for its patrons to sit on the concrete steps. That's it...no-frills Shakespeare, the closest I'll ever be to Joe Papp's original intent. The production was terrific; thoughtfully edited to include an execution and coronation, so we'd understand how the War of the Roses brought the Dukes of York and Lancaster to this moment. RII was so bad he was great, the women were particularly talented, and there was a "Walking Dead" moment at the end that showed how relevant Shakespeare is, even now. I sat beside one of the actors on the subway going home. He was sweet; said our chat made his night. The crowd was MUCH younger than most theatre audiences today: kids and teenagers, people in their twenties to forties...and us. There was a family next to us who enjoyed wine and a bag of snacks during the performance which brings me to...

Wine...of course, one should have wine. But I didn't appreciate the "squeak, squeak, squeak" of the opener drawing the cork from the bottle. Make it a screwtop and crack it while the producer is asking everyone to "shut off your cell phones and unwrap your candies." Water: no problem, if there isn't a nipple on the bottle that makes that horrible sucking sound when you pull your lips off. Snacks: If you want chips or pretzels, do the rest of us a favor. Take them out of the crinkly cellophane bag and tie up individual amounts in paper towels or, if you're really pretentious, linen napkins. Sandwiches: No crunchy baguettes, please! Soft white or whole wheat bread only. And again with the sandwich wraps: no crinkly Saran or paper, waxed or otherwise! Another item to be wrapped in something soft. Fruit: grapes are perfect since they come clustered by Nature. Blueberries, raspberries, anything cut up which can be passed in a bowl. Nothing with a peel: no oranges, apples, bananas...unless you're eager to reprise the Sheridan Whiteside role in "The Man Who Came to Dinner." Pack a picnic as if you're going to Mass; the best theatre can be a religious experience. Photo Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos