"It was an absolutely magical performance. The inter-generational cast was full of talent. The show was laugh-out-loud funny and wonderfully done."
"The performance was outstanding and very enjoyable. It was our 12-year-old daughter's first Shakespeare play so we wondered how she would react (whether the would understand the lines, the story, etc). She was completely caught up in the story and the performance (she didn't get it all, but it opened a lot of great discussion on the drive home)."
"Absolutely wonderful production!!! Talented cast! We thoroughly enjoyed our first experience with Ithaca Shakespeare Co."
"I thought this performance of Twelfth Night was excellent! It's hard to pick a favorite, but I especially loved Sir Toby and Viola/Cesario. I thought the ending scene when the big reveal happens was well produced, and everyone genuinely did a good job interacting with the audience."
"So much fun! Well acted and delightful. Location: Spectacular - prefer it to Plantations. Good Lake breeze & shade."
"I have seen Twelfth Night in many different performances. I played Viola in High School, saw my daughter do the same, and most lately enjoyed a raucous, bawdy enactment at Fringe Arts in Philadelphia. Yet this performance opened new aspects of the play and the characters, most notably: the impetuous, passionate, pro-active courting by both "Cesario" and Olivia, with different styles, both bowling over their men. Malvolio always shines, but Sherman's Malvolio is the very best I have seen, bringing out every facet of this excruciating character. I had never before fully perceived the seamy underbelly of Sir Toby Belch, using his "friend" (also a marvelously idiotic Sir Andrew) and then setting him up for injury - or worse - in a contrived duel. And Fabian (you always wonder "who is this guy?") as a tradesman-henchman, whose literacy in the final scene foreshadows the demise of the social order that frames the plot. Likewise the Fool, an intelligence operator systematically collecting everybody's cash, the very Bard. Fantastic Mariah, so clever, played with a fine hand! A Sebastian moving from clueless to astute, and passionate, loyal, risk-taking Antonio finally fulfilling for me those usually less well-developed characters. Excellent period-referenced music: the trio of women vocalists glided between exquisite (90%) and annoying (10%), just perfect. And the costuming was excellent - Olivia's sudden appearance in "celeste" is the first time I have ever seen a costume change, per se, get a laugh. Bravo!"
"Absolutely ONEderful performance! Thanks very much!"
"Excellent! The acting, costumes, and staging were all very lovely and apt. It was very funny. I hope the actors were gratified that my kids were laughing so hard at their antics. Their performances made the whole family happy."
"I thought it was wonderful and the actors were very strong and had great, well developed characters. It was well choreographed and a lot of fun."
"It was fabulous! Well directed, great casting, wonderful actors. Exceeded all expectations...overall a delightful, entertaining, fun, pleasant experience. Bravo!"
"Cast made the numerous comedic moments shine, especially through their laudable use of non-verbal acting in the background of scenes. At the same time, the few poignant scenes remained emotionally very well done. Loved the use of music throughout the play."
"The actors were the best ever. Every single one was talented and played their part perfectly. I will definitely come again."
"We loved it! Fantastic show, with fabulous acting. Loved the costumes and set, too. We liked this new location even better than the former one. Sitting by the lake was a beautiful bonus!"
"Excellent, loved the new setting at the marina, actors were engaging and well-played. Thank you so much for having the golf cart service!!"
"We enjoyed it very much. It was our first ISC show and we were pleasantly surprised. The acting, sets, and costumes were all well done. Great location and the pre-show activities were welcome and entertaining."
"It was wonderful. Great acting, good set, lovely location."
"We loved Twelfth Night! Everyone played their parts so well, so we could really understand what was going on. It was really funny! We also enjoyed the jousting event before the show. What an enjoyable evening!"
"Great acting! I've seen 12th Night many times over the years and loved this interpretation. Appreciated the really simple set: it allowed the actors/script to really shine. Great comic timing. Loved the costumes as well! I was worried about not being able to hear, but found that not to be an issue -- great job with the sound engineering (anyone who complains about the occasional fuzz or feedback doesn't know how tricky these things can be! Brava!)"
"Excellent. The best performance of this play I've ever seen. Perfect choice of actors, especially for the twins, who actually looked very much alike. Viola and Malvolio had wonderful facial expressions which helped tremendously to keep the audience engaged and responsive. Loved the addition of the musicians."
"The performance was great - very enjoyable, funny, fun."
"Excellent performance, great staging. Fun fun fun. Loved the new venue, weather outstanding. All in all a perfect evening."
"Really superb production! Viola/Cesario outstanding! Just delightful."
"Wonderful!! I haven't laughed that much in awhile. The performers were just stunning - enough to keep my 5 year old totally enthralled for the entire performance. The marina was perfect. Great to have plenty of parking. I actually enjoyed the short walk to/from the performance. The waterfront setting/shade/breeze were all lovely."
"The performance surpassed my expectations. I've never read or seen Twelfth Night before, but the actors were legible enough for someone unfamiliar with the play to be able to follow the action easily. They were quite funny - the whole Malvolio/Sir Toby subplot was outstanding. I was impressed with how little was cut from the original text, once I looked up the play at home. The costumes were great (not strictly period-appropriate, but indicative of the characters). The casting was top-notch also, I didn't notice any weak links at all."
"The performance was great! All the actors were excellent - great projection, stage presence, facial expressions, knowledge of their part - it was all good!"
"It was the best performance of Twelfth Night I've ever seen! Enjoyed every minute. Such wonderful actors."
"I loved it. I laughed so hard I thought I would cry!"
"I attended your production of Twelfth Night yesterday, and like Malvolio, I was smiling from ear to ear. The ins and outs of this convoluted plot were brilliantly directed. The energy was contagious. I particularly enjoyed the strong Shakespearean acting of Feste and Olivia. Feste's singing and physicality were a joy, and Olivia's motivations were as clear as her words. Thank you all for such an inspired production."
"Tremendous, exquisite coordination between voice, choreography and body gesture - enthralling. Keep up the great work!"
"It was very good. So funny, all the actors did an amazing job. I saw it for the second time and especially enjoyed the reactions the other characters had when they weren't talking."
"Wonderful! Great acting, staging, bringing the audience in. Enjoyed it immensely."
"Great actors, easy to hear and understand, lovely costumes. Very funny and the silliness of the play/plot was excellently done. I love the new location. It works really well for the audience, the set, and back stage. It is a great use of our tax dollars at the park and I applaud the cooperative effort to make this come about."
Henry VI: A Tiger's Heart
"This is a legitimate gem hiding in our community. I love everything about Shakespeare and everything about Ithaca so it's an easy sell for me but we could not believe the acting, the heart, the professionalism, the sets, the costumes... We took our picnic basket with bread and cheese and fruit and salads and a bottle of wine. I was enveloped in the bard -- I hadn't even realized how much I'd missed live performances of Shakespeare. I am going to be a permanent subscriber to this treasure of a company. Cannot recommend highly enough."
"Beautiful alchemy - the simple but symbolic set with symmetrical sides for all the opposing groups & ways to remove bodies & enter, wonderful acting, great costumes, motion & realistic fighting & deaths! How on earth could you have so many seamless changes on stage? We so enjoyed it all! The location was like a Maxfield Parrish painting come to life as the clouds billowed, the birds flew & the Mockingbird piped up & the light slowly changed. And the huge trees a part of the set...not to mention the lake & boats."
"Your shows are always a pleasure, and tonight was no exception. We really appreciated your efforts to help us keep all the characters clear. We enjoyed the staging, the costumes, and the interesting character portrayal -- especially the contrast between Henry and Richard (not yet the III), each of whom was everything the other was not."
"I enjoyed it very much. As always, admired the editor's craft in getting it down to 2 1/2 hours and keeping the plotline clear and interesting. This one especially. I was drawn in to the play completely. It may have helped that I did my homework, starting with the thumbnails on your website, and more or less knew the characters and the arc of Henry VI's life. Great job; looking forward to Richard III!"
"Excellent!!!! Fabulous! Well done! Jousting prelude was great fun too!"
"Fascinating- acting enjoyable, swordplay thrilling - and Richard deliciously ruthless as foreshadowing. Divine location - gorgeous, shady, breezy."
"The effort and passion of the actors and supporting staff are so evident in the quality of the acting and attention to detail In the staging and especially the costuming. Combining 3 plays into one couldn't have been easy but was seamlessly done. All the program notes helped so much to keep the characters straight and learn the history as well. Thanks for another wonderful experience."
"Henry VI was wonderful - great acting and a beautiful location made for a very enjoyable evening! The singing and jousting before the performance made it even more fun! We'll be seeing Twelfth Night next which I'm sure will be terrific,too."
"It was well and cleverly done. Fight scenes were dramatic, set versatile. Having the summarized version in the program helped!"
"What fun! I had to read up before coming, but I followed along (and will take time to read the program). I loved the cast for both their talent and their enthusiasm. The costumes were fabulous. I was also happy that I could hear!"
"That was a great adaptation. I'm dumb, and I was drinking, and I could follow it. Great job."
"The performance was excellent. Well cast, well costumed, great set. I really like that it held to 2 hours. Thank you for condensing the three shows. Well done. The notes in the playbill made it easy to follow what was happening."
"Well done - well acted, good sound, easy to follow. Enjoyed the new location."
"Quite enjoyed it; thank you. We think you did a very good job condensing the 3 plays into one. That could not have been easy, and the outcome was a very coherent, well 'follow able' story. The notes in the playbill really helped, too. Good acting on the whole; particularly the Duke of York and the king. Excellent job of moving all the dead bodies off stage."
"Loved it. Well done. Gorgeous outdoor setting and perfect under the trees."
"Wonderful. We had a great time. The actors appear to care deeply about their craft. The set and costumes were also excellent. I still can't figure out how everyone was miked."
"If you haven't seen Henry VI be sure to make it to the final performance. History came alive in this production, and there was never a dull moment. I now want to read all about the War of Roses. I very much enjoyed the rousing performances given by York and Henry VI. The program notes were so very useful, as was the role of the "Chorus" who kept our understanding high (and also provided several moments of levity!) Another highlight was Young Clifford's famous speech. Loved every moment!"
"Fabulous, I learned so much history watching all these plays. The programs are very well put together. I love the narrator."
"I really enjoyed this performance. The program notes were exceptionally well done and helped to follow the action. The battle scenes were superbly choreographed."
"A wonderful event - the complexity of the history/plot and all those nobles was made fairly easily understood although your great program notes helped a lot too. The inside Ithaca joke of Jack Sherman wanting to kill all the lawyers was fun and I chuckled at the various actors who were killed several times! The actors are all very talented as is your costumer. Great fights and swordsmanship."
