Shakespeare in the Park

One of the things I knew I had to do during my last week of unemployment was wait in line for Shakespeare in the Park tickets. The Public Theater does two shows during the summer season, and this year's schedule included The Comedy of Errors in May/June, and Love's Labour's Lost in July/August.

I had gone twice before when Meryl Streep was doing Mother Courage, so I knew the process very well. A few things have changed since I went in 2007 — they now distribute the tickets at noon instead of 1pm, for example — but mostly it was a similar experience. I wasn't quite as fanatical about being first in line this time, especially after learning that the seating is distributed randomly — first in line only guarantees that you'll get a ticket, not necessarily a great seat. I understand why they do it this way, but it's still a little annoying. Knowing that, however, took a bit of the pressure off and I got there around 6:30 am instead of 4:30 am.

There were probably 30 people in front of me, but I had a great spot. I was on the grass (instead of the asphalt or mulch), under a huge, shady tree and had a nice view for people watching. I've been getting pretty good at picnicking lately, so my blanket and food situation was perfect. I know it's totally weird to say, but napping in the park is one of my very favorite things to do. I certainly don't envy homeless people, or wish to make light of their situation, but there are certainly worse spots to sleep than under a shady tree on a breezy, bright sunny day in Central Park.

I understand why people are appalled at the length of the line, or how early you have to arrive, but it's really just about the easiest thing you can do: you nap a little, eat a little, read a bit, listen to some music and before you know it you have two FREE tickets to some of the best performances in the world.

Back in June, I waited two hours to see the Rain Room and I would take the six-hour wait for theater tickets in the park over standing in the hot sun on the asphalt in Midtown outside of MOMA, any day. I've noticed that living in New York makes you get used to waiting in line for almost anything: last night I had to wait in line just to enter a Trader Joe's. It's not so bad if you have the right supplies or the right company, and most often the payoff is totally worth it.

Noon came before I knew it, and I was actually reluctant to abandon my cozy spot. So reluctant, in fact, that I pocketed my tickets, moved about ten feet over to Turtle Pond and set up another picnic spot. If picnicking was a job, I'd be employee of the month.

At about 8 that night, my friend Katie and I headed back to the Delacorte to see the show, and I'm happy to report that it was great. I wasn't sure what to expect, having never read the play, but I'm kind of glad I went in without any preconceived notion of the story. This production was actually made into a musical and performed in a very modern, present-day setting.

Sometimes I groan when companies try to "update" Shakespeare, but this one worked extremely well. Once I got used to the tone, it was hilarious and the music was surprisingly heartfelt and catchy. If you only listen to one of the songs, definitely make it "Love's a Gun." I've been playing it on repeat since last Tuesday and I actually got chills seeing it performed — Lindsay Mendez was a stand-out among the ridiculously talented cast.

Everyone in the cast was a brilliant triple threat — dancing, singing and speaking Shakespeare with ease. The most famous cast member was Rachel Dratch, who played a professor reminiscent of her "lahhvers" character, and got huge laughs whenever she was on stage.

There's really nothing like seeing a great performance in an open-air theater on a perfect summer night in the middle of Central Park. It's one of those magical New York moments that I'm so grateful I got to attend at all, let alone three times already. I'm sad I missed out on Comedy of Errors, but I'm excited to be able to make Shakespeare in the Park a regular tradition. I'm hoping Meryl decides to return to the Delacorte stage soon and I guarantee I'll be there, enjoying my time in line almost as much as the play itself.