2007年VOA标准英语-Shakespeare in Central Park Opens 50th Season i

By Carolyn Weaver¹
New York City
03 July 2007
  

Free outdoor performances of Shakespeare plays in Central Park have been a New York City summer tradition since 1957. This year, Public Theater producers have taken "love" as their theme, opening the season with the first Park production of "Romeo and Juliet" in 40 years. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is also on this summer's program. VOA's Carolyn Weaver has more.

Romeo and Juliet

For 50 years, New Yorkers have flocked to a free summer Shakespeare festival in Central Park. Under the night sky in the open-air Delacorte Theater, actors -- both famous and unknown -- bring Shakespeare's characters to life.

Oskar Eustis is artistic² director for the Festival. "Shakespeare is the most canonical³ writer that we have,” says Eustis. “Everybody agrees that Shakespeare is the greatest writer in the English language, and most people probably think he's probably the greatest writer in the history of the world."

 

This year's season opened with "Romeo and Juliet," a tragedy of teenaged lovers. The play has enthralled⁴ audiences around the world for four centuries.

Eustis says keeping and building those audiences in New York City is the mission of the festival. "What's radical⁵ about Shakespeare in the Park is the idea that Shakespeare belongs to everybody, and should be given away to them for free," says Eustis.

But only those with plenty of free time: theatergoers begin lining⁶ up at dawn for the free tickets that are passed out at 1 p.m. On a recent steamy day, the line stretched to more than 500 people. Most thought the wait was well worth it.

The line for tickets begins early and stretches for hundreds of people

"I really enjoy coming here because I like the ambiance, I like getting on the line, waiting here, going in and seeing the show, the anticipation⁷ of it all," says an audience member.

"By the time you're finished with the play, you walk out knowing you've met some of the best characters of your life, and Shakespeare is not like a movie, where you're going to forget it down the road,” says another. “When you see Shakespeare and it's done properly, you remember it for the rest of your life."

The very first person in line had spent the night there. Spiro Philips said he is homeless, and often stays in Central Park. "Well, I got here about 12 o'clock last night, and I have my bedroll over there, and I slept here -- it was nice," says Philips.

He said Shakespeare in the Park was better than most plays on Broadway, and "Romeo and Juliet" is a particular favorite of his.  "It's a great play. It's a tragic⁸ love story. She takes a potion that makes it seem like she's dead, and Romeo kills himself because he doesn't want to live in the world without her, and then when she's off the potion, she winds up killing⁹ herself, because she doesn't want to live in the world without Romeo."

One fan of Shakespeare in the Park who waited hours in line for free tickets

Further down the line was a children's theater director who is also a longtime fan of Shakespeare in the Park:  "I think it brings people who may not necessarily normally have wanted to come to Shakespeare, but, a) it's free, and b) it's a lot of stars -- people they may just have wanted to see on stage -- and then they're drawn¹⁰ to seeing and hearing the words of Shakespeare, which is a great goodness for everybody."

But this performance had an anticlimax¹¹.  The last person to get a ticket had arrived at 9 a.m. Several hundred others had waited up to four more hours to no avail. Theater manager Kurt Lutman says he was too busy to estimate the shortfall.  "We told everybody, 'You're more than welcome to wait. I don't know how good your chances are," explained Lutman.

But those who miss out can try their luck on another day for "Romeo and Juliet,' or this summer's second production, "A Midsummer Night's Dream."  "Romeo and Juliet" runs through July 8; "A Midsummer Night's Dream" runs August 7 to September 9.

1 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

2 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

3 canonical   

n.权威的；典型的

参考例句：

• These canonical forms have to existence except in our imagination.这些正规式并不存在，只是我们的想象。
• This is a combinatorial problem in canonical form.这是组合论中的典型问题。

4 enthralled   

迷住，吸引住( enthrall的过去式和过去分词 )； 使感到非常愉快

参考例句：

• The child watched, enthralled by the bright moving images. 这孩子看着那明亮的移动的影像，被迷住了。
• The children listened enthralled as the storyteller unfolded her tale. 讲故事的人一步步展开故事情节，孩子们都听得入迷了。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

7 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

8 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

11 anticlimax   

n.令人扫兴的结局；突降法

参考例句：

• Travelling in Europe was something of an anticlimax after the years he'd spent in Africa.他在非洲生活了多年，到欧洲旅行真是有点太平淡了。
• It was an anticlimax when they abandoned the game.他们放弃比赛，真是扫兴。