Try It, You'll Like It: Notes from the Cult-cha File

Great news! For one more week you have the chance to see SCAPIN, one of Moliere's masterworks in Central Park as performed by the New York Classical Theater company...

Okay, I'm guessing that revelation just elicited one of two responses: it either made your mouth begin watering with artistic expectation, or made your eyeballs roll so far back into your head that it will require an oyster fork to shuck them back into place.

Well this post is to the latter group (yes, I’m talking to you, oyster-shuckers. Sorry, classical theater geeks, you and I, we have nothing to talk about. And stop reminding me that we were such good friends in middle school.)

Anyway, this show, Scapin, has much to recommend it. First of all, it was adapted by Bill Irwin and the great Mark O’Donnell (best known for writing the book for the B-way musical, HAIRSPRAY), so it’s Hi-Larious! Secondly, it’s being performed in Central Park, and not at the Delacort Theater! It’s “outdoor” theater at its most outdoorsy: the audience gathers on a field at 103rd and CPW, then walks with the actors as they perform various scenes in various vistas in the Park. It’s such a cool summer treat. (And not just because if you don’t like the person sitting in front of you, you can trip ‘em, run ahead and switch spots in the following scene.)

The one drawback is that because of all the movement you can’t really bring a picnic or even a bottle of wine (unless you’re very good at drinking and walking), but this is really no big deal since you can get your drinking in later (trust me.)

There are also a ton of other reasons to go see this play (It’s free! It’s funny! There’s a happy ending!), but I’ll let you discover them for yourselves. The show’s final run is from this Thursday to Sunday, but for more info on NYClassical Theater, check out their website, www.nyclassical.org.