"The Rivals" by the New York Classical Theatre

The New York Classical Theatre's 18th season started with Richard Brinsley Sheridan's comedy "The Rivals" (pictured below) and continues with Shakespeare's tragedy "Macbeth" (first performance is July 31 at the Battery Park's Castle Clinton.)

"The Rivals" is from 1775; it's a romantic comedy about tension between marriage for the sake of love and artifice for the sake of money. As always, I was blown away by the performances and loved drawing the actors (so much so that I attend 3 shows: at the Rockefeller Park and at the Carl Schurz park, with artists Charlotte Noruzi and Margaret Hurst. Check out their wonderful drawings of this play by clicking on their names).  New York Classical's stage is all of the park, and audiences follow actors from scene to scene. Performances are free to attend - all you have to do is show up at 7pm. It's an absolute treat and delight! Get the dates and locations for the upcoming "Macbeth" performances here>
 

Lydia: "How charming will poverty be with him!"

David (right) about Lydia: "She has a lapdog that eats out of gold, she feeds her parrot with small pearls, and all her hair-curlers are made of bank-notes!"

Sir Anthony Absolute to Mrs Malaprop: "Madam, a circulating library in a town is as an evergreen tree of diabolical knowledge!" 

Sir Anthony Absolute (right) to his son Jack, talking about his arranged marriage: "...the lady shall be as ugly as I choose"

Sir Anthony Absolute: "..don't put me in a  P H R E N Z Y!"

Mrs Malaprop (right) to Lydia (left): "I don't know any business you have to think at all. Thought does not become a young woman."

Julia to Faulkland: "My heart has known no other guardian - we will fly together."

Jack Absolute (right) to Faulkland (left): "You are the most teasing, captious, incorrigible lover!—Do love like a man"

Faulkland to Julia:"If I loved you less, I should never give you an uneasy moment" 

Capt. Jack Absolute (right) to Faulkland: "YOU DON'T DESERVE HER!"

Sir Lucius O'Trigger (right) to Bob (left): "Can a man commit a more heinous offence against another than to fall in love with the same woman? Oh, by my soul! it is the most unpardonable breach of friendship." 

-Capt. Jack Absolute [Reads.]:  "As for the old weather-beaten she-dragon who guards you.–Who can he mean by that?"
-Mrs. Malaprop:  "Me, sir!–me!–he means me!"

Sir Lucius O'Trigger: ''Modesty is a quality in a lover more praised by the women than liked.''

The End!