Shakespeare in the Park Tips

Oh ROMEO, oh ROMEO, wherefore art thou ROMEO.

That's about the only Shakespeare line I know from heart. However, my one NYC bucket list item has always been to go see Shakespeare in the Park (SP). So when I heard last Friday that they were giving away tickets at the Harlem borough, close to my work, I literally ran all the way there. I never run. I was the 10th person or so in line before they ran out of tickets. BUT by the miracle of God, when I walked away from the booth, a kind man in his bicycle handed me a ticket!!! (It was like i was destined to go and it felt like I won the Golden Ticket). As a SP newbie, here are some tips for what I wish I knew beforehand:

1) They don't just give tickets at central park - Look early enough at the website and you can see where they will be handing out tickets. General rule of thumb: get there an hour or half an hour early. My coworkers told me that no one would be in line and that I was sure to grab tickets.. but no. This is NEW YORK CITY. There is ALWAYS a line.

2) Seats are somewhat first come first serve(?)- Get to the ticket booth early to turn your voucher in for seats. I'm not 100% sure if you can choose where you want to sit when you get there, but I think that the earlier you get to redeem your voucher, the better your seats. Your ticket has assigned seating so make sure that if you want to sit with someone, you're with them / have their voucher in hand.

3) Wine in a covert bottle?? YES PLEASE- ugh. How could I forget the age old college tradition of smuggling in alcohol?? One couple in the front was smart enough to bring a bottle with wine in it and 2 plastic cups. Shakespeare and wine? Genius

4) Bring snacks/dinner- You are allowed food in the theater so fill up that empty bag with food! You can also get food at the theater... if you want to pay an arm and leg

5) It's 2.5 hours long. Make sure you go to the bathroom beforehand. The theater is small enough to notice the slightest of movements.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about sitting for 2.5 hours listening to Shakespeare (The Tempest).... but let me tell you, it was so much better than how I imagined it to be.  Seriously, reading shakespeare in a 10th grade lit class vs listening to actual actors using the correct rhythm makes all the difference.

Well done mister Shakespeare, well done. Your plays are actually kind of funny and make total sense.

Too small to see but Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sam Waterston!