Here are some of the things people are saying about the shows...
"It was one of the best productions I've ever seen. Really fantastic."
"We loved the performance. The staging and pacing were terrific. The performances were superb. The timing and physicality of the "fight" scenes with Hermia, Helena, Demetrius and Lysander had me laughing out loud. Pyramus's death scene was hilarious. And Puck was an overflowing vessel of mischief. Excellent!"
"I've seen Midsummer's Night before, in several locations, and this was among the best. Seriously. The 2nd act fight scene alone was worth the price of admission. My mom had never seen it before and LOVED it!"
"Truly an excellent performance; thoroughly enjoyable for our whole family, age range 12 1/2 to 68."
"We thought the performance was really well done and funny, especially Helena and Puck. The scenery is wonderful and the perfect setting for this play."
"Wonderful - have been coming to see ISC for years and I thought this was the best production yet. Best cast - no "weak links," and I thought the actress who played Helena did a particularly great job. Loved the slightly modern touch she gave that character. Great location - please don't ever move it!"
"Great fun! My son said "That was awesome!" And he is eleven years old. The actors were a blast. They seemed to really love their roles."
"We loved it and had a wonderful time!!! In general acting was great - having seen this performance before and once by the Globe theatre in England, this was really excellent! Certain actors stood out however as really phenomenal. The actor who played Bottom was hilarious - and the actress playing Titania was also exceptional - she had a great stage presence and projection and was very regal but was also very funny too at the right times. Beautiful setting and perfect for the play."
"The performance was engaging and relatively easy to follow. The actors were outstanding. It was a great location. The director took advantage of the setting. I very much appreciated the quality of the sound."
"Loved the performance, such a great play. Thought the whole cast did a wonderful job. Really liked Oberon and Bottom. And Titania was great!"
"Thank you very much for the performance! We enjoyed ourselves immensely. I laughed so hard I got the hiccups... :)"
"It was really great and I liked it a lot! I am 13 years old and read the play in school and it was great to see it done so well on a stage. The actors were really good and played the part very well. I really liked the romance and how it all played out."
"I am a middle school teacher. This past year we studied Midsummer. One of my students came with me to the show. We both enjoyed it immensely.The actors did a superb job of bringing Shakespeare to life. Their expressions and acting made it easier to understand the Old English speech."
"Exceptional! It was very well done and great acting."
"Excellent! I loved it...very humorous. Was especially touched by how much the two small children in front row enjoyed the performance, too -- as it should be, a great success! Kudos to all involved...it is evident a lot of time and effort and expertise go into these performances."
"Cornell Plantations came alive with more than botanicals on the July evening I saw A Midsummer Night's Dream performed there. What a wonderful production. The cast is strong. The physicality of the young lovers added to their comedic scenes. Cheers to the choreographer here. Oberon and Titania were excellent. Both of these actors were great at delivering the Shakespearian verse. Oberon completely captured the raw power of his character. Titania was enchanted and enchanting. Bottom was hilarious! Puck was otherworldly. In all, a magical night."
"Easily the best version of the show that I have seen to date."
"The performance was amazing. It inspired 2 young Shakespeare lovers. Beautiful location. Perfect for the show. "
"I really enjoyed the performance, I don't remember a moment when my eyes were off the stage, always wondering what will happen next."
"I really enjoyed the performance. It contained enough of the whimsy I always think of when I think of Midsummer. I brought my 8 year old to his first Shakespeare performance. He loved Puck as well as the fairies sideline antics. Thanks for a memorable evening."
"Excellent cast. I loved the two main female characters, especially. Full of sass and attitude!"
"Excellent! Exceeded expectations. My husband said it was the best version he's seen and he's seen it more than a dozen times."
"We thought the performance was superb. It was my middle school daughter's first exposure to Shakespeare, and she LOVED the play. I am glad that her first experience of Shakespeare's work was so positive, thanks to you. She wants to come back and see another play, and we will! She is also involved in theatre, which made the experience all the more valuable. I have seen Shakespeare at Stratford, Ontario, and your performance was comparable. I loved the costumes!"
"Most excellent staging -- the slow-mo Matrix-like chase scenes were awesome. Utilizing the surrounding bushes & trees was a great move. Puck was superb!"
"Fantastic performance, it was uproariously funny. The lovers and the Rude Mechanicals were fantastic!"
"The actors were so funny. Really top notch performance by all. The spirit of camaraderie was evident. The slow-mo fight scene was awesome. The fight choreography in particular was super well done. We had a wonderful time. The new location was so nice."
"It was excellent....well done....funny...The performers were professional and very talented. I have not enjoyed Broadway performances as much as this one!"
"It was great! Great acting, very accessible, a lot of fun."
"Great performance by all, very comical."
"My first time at ISC and it won't be my last. Loved it. The acting, choreography and scenery were superb. The modern gestures gave it a lightness that I suspect Shakespeare would have approved of."
"It was fantastic!!! A real party of engaging excitement for all. Location: SO GREAT. That was half of the wonderment of it all....loved being outside, and especially loved the hill in the back that allowed us late-coming blanket-sitters a good view!"
"Totally wonderful in every way."
"Wonderful! Terrific performances, imaginative staging and great fight sequences."
"It was wonderful. One of the best performances of this play I have ever seen. The actors were very very expressive; it added so much to the play. I also really liked the set - the trees were very cool. I liked the gymnastics and the "Matrix" fighting moment. The costumes and makeup were great. But really, the performances were just amazing. I especially liked Helena and the actor who was turned into an ass and the minimalist performance of the actor who portrayed a wall. Demetrius and the other Athenian suitor were also great."
"The performance was amazing! The fairies were very graceful, the lines were delivered with excellent tension, and the characters were portrayed well."
"Fabulous! Shakespeare is of course hard to understand/follow sometimes, and the actors did a great job of making the play clear. Loved it!"
"Loved it - had a great time watching. Brought my kids and they thought that it was very funny. They keep talking about the things that they thought were the funniest in the show."
"We loved the performance! My kids are 13 and 10 and they thought it was a ton of fun. They want to come back and see one of the tragedies. Thanks for inspiring them!"
"Great production! It really came to life for me. I liked the modern touches like the slow motion scratching episode in the women's fight scene, the sarcastic faces and tones in Hermia and Helena's lines, and the dance scene at the end."
"The performance of this wonderful play was excellent. I enjoyed it very much!"
"Great! Very energetic and engaging."
"Enjoyed it very much; thought you did a great job of streamlining the plays (am now reading thru the whole things while the performance is fresh in my mind.) My first outdoor Shakespeare event. Very pleasantly surprised. Parking was very well managed, portapotties adequate and clean, snacks impressively wholesome. The weather was perfect, which helped a lot."
"OMG the battles were awesome."
"Judicious and lively blend of the two Henry plays. You did it! And smartly! Terrific portrayal of sack-besotted Falstaff, antic but wise, whose honor speech drives the play. In your meld of histories and merriment, Parts I and II, HONOR is seen more clearly as coercion fueling the making of Hal as King, and efficient killing machine. Bring on more! Bravo!"
"We thoroughly enjoyed the production of Henry IV. The blocking and swordplay were particularly well done. We especially liked Henry V, and look forward to seeing him in Henry V! Very happy that ISC is doing the four-play cycle. Love the location - just the right size, parking close and easy,and a wonderful atmosphere for both comedies and histories."
"Very good. Really liked the quick summary at the beginning. Set was very clever. Loved Falstaff, Hal and Hotspur. Despite a light rain, the setting was stunning. It enhanced the play."
"Really engaging, well-acted and conceived. It was terrific. The whole experience was lovely and the evening very well organized."
"So easy to follow and understand. The actors were so eloquent and expressive both in voice and body. There was plenty of humor in a play that could be very dry. Loved it. The atmosphere couldn't be more beautiful for appreciating Shakespeare. Impressive how you got the rain to stop just as the play began."
"Well acted, enjoyable, understandable. I appreciated the careful attempts, in both program and on stage, to debrief us on the background history and personages."
"Wonderful! I wasn't familiar with the play beforehand, but you did an excellent job of making it clear. Given that the material was so complicated, this was quite a feat! The acting was stellar (I particularly loved Falstaff and Prince Hal), and the direction kept me engaged from start to finish. Another wonderful show. Keep being fabulous. :) "
"Fantastic -- great talent, well-rehearsed. Great energy, funny -- all of it. Zero complaints! Cannot beat the location. The size of the venue is perfect, the setting beautiful."
"Excellent, beautiful! The set was very appealing. Falstaff, Hal and Hotspur were great actors."
"I really enjoyed the show and atmosphere. Great costumes, set and direction. The actors were great. Nice to see familiar Binghamton actors in the cast. Plantations are a great venue."
"Absolutely wonderful. Entertaining, funny, fantastic fight scenes, wonderfully acted."
"Loved it! Great acting and your editing was perfect."
"Very well done. The acting was good, the speech was clear (and amplified just right), and the staging made good use of the outdoor setting."
"Terrific! Can't wait for Henry V :-) "
"Very enjoyable! Well acted and staged. Loved the choreography of the sword fighting. Very beautiful setting."
"Saw the first act of HENRY IV by ISC last evening. It was the only chance I had to catch even part of the production and thank goodness I took the opportunity! I could not miss this performance by Dan Kiely as John Falstaff. Dan was born to play this role, one of Shakespeare's most wonderful creations. He should spend the next 20 years playing this very big, very moving and very memorable character. Any theatre company would be insane not to hire Dan to play Jack Falstaff. But this production has much more to recommend it. Prince Hal, Hotspur, Gloucester, Mistress Quickly, King Henry round out the 7 major characters around whom Shakespeare's company often revolved....Seven leads, seven wonderful actors, a magic number. ISC and Steve Ponton is very aware of this focus and in this production all of that works wonderfully. Congrats, ISC! Give us more!"
