Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

07/30/2026

just three more shows
FREE

Some great photos from Lee Wexler
Some great comments or reviewers
FREE
Tonight tomorrow and Saturday
7 PM
Corner of Rivington and Norfolk
Enter in the open gate
Between Revington and Stanton on Suffolk Street

Chairs are first come first serve or bring your own
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"For the Drilling Co., all the world is a stage.”
— Jon Sobel, Blogcritics

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“...a superb cast to regale the audience to an unpretentious fresh presentation... full of invention with the simplest production means—materially ‘poor’ but theatrically rich, in the best sense.”
— Beate Hein Bennet, New York Theatre Wire

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“The Drilling Company's Shakespeare in the Parking Lot production of As You Like It is a perfect way to spend a summer evening.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“This marks the company's thirty-first year of presenting free summer Shakespeare on the Lower East Side, and they never cease to amaze.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“...a delightful way of spending an evening with Shakespeare's delicious comedy of confusions... come and see The Drilling Company's production...”
— Beate Hein Bennet, New York Theatre Wire

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“The Drilling Company's Shakespeare in the Parking Lot productions are always a summer treat. Don't miss this one!”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“...these Drilling Company productions get closer to what feels like authentic Shakespeare than many larger and more polished stagings do. Real Shakespeare, and what feels like a party.”
— Jon Sobel, Blogcritics

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“...a rough-and-ready staging of Shakespeare's romantic comedy, turning the Forest of Arden into the contemporary Lower East Side.”
— amNewYork

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“The Drilling Company offers a fun, quality production for free in a unique setting.”
— Tom Storch, Front Row Center

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“The Drilling Company delivers a modern, sassy... [production].”
— Tom Storch, Front Row Center

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“...In the moment, comic acting that makes you feel like everything is happening for the first time.”
— Michael Portantiere, BroadwayRadio

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“Director Hamilton Clancy has again brought together a phenomenal cast of highly skilled actors who fill the parking lot on the corner of Norfolk and Rivington with joy and enthusiasm.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“Ms. Bonfilio plays Rosalind as a wise and self-possessed elegant lady; as Ganymede, she plays up the 'manspreading,' 'mansplaining' would-be man... hiding the love-torn Rosalind behind her bravura mask.”
— Beate Hein Bennet, New York Theatre Wire

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“Lia Bonfilio portrays Rosalind as brilliantly as the Bard could have asked for... capturing the kind of elevated reality that only lives in a fantastical story like this. Brava.”
— Jon Sobel, Blogcritics

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“Lia Bonfilio and Patrick Hart explore the multiple layers in Shakespeare's words, creating stimulating moments of sincere emotional connection as Rosalind and Orlando.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“They have a wonderful, natural chemistry that penetrates through any disguise Rosalind chooses to wear.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“Bonfilio and Hart are brightly touching and funny in the tongue-tied love-at-first-sight encounter...”
— Jon Sobel, Blogcritics

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“...sliding from playful and giggly with her dear cousin Celia (a vivacious Thammie Laine Quách), to suddenly enamored, to razor-edged woodland wit.”
— Jon Sobel, Blogcritics

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“Thammie Laine Quach [plays Celia] with the cocky teenage charm of the privileged child. However, Celia is loyal to her beloved cousin Rosalind...”
— Beate Hein Bennet, New York Theatre Wire

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“Thammie Laine Quach's Celia/Aliena brings humor to Rosalind's tricking of Orlando in the forest...”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“Mr. Elpenord is captivating as Oliver. He and Ms. Quach develop a beguiling connection.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“Mr. Teachout portrays Silvius as a simple and honest peasant. Ms. Allen's Phoebe is cunning, yet easily distracted. They are charming together. The scenes they share with Ms. Bonfilio are genuinely riveting.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“Andy Rowell is a spectacularly nimble Touchstone... [His outfit] is one of the best designed Fool costumes I have seen.”
— Beate Hein Bennet, New York Theatre Wire

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“Andy Rowell brings his wonted broad, intelligent clowning to the role of Touchstone...”
— Jon Sobel, Blogcritics

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“Andy Rowell delivers a bold and daring Touchstone. He is meek in his initial departure from the court, yet wild and adventurous when seeking love...”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“David Marantz portrays Jacques as a grounded philosopher, and delivers Shakespeare's 'Seven Ages of Man' with intrigue, humor, and wisdom.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“Their experience of playing in such an environment has made them secure... Their adaptive spontaneity and collaborative spirit show in their interactions...”
— Beate Hein Bennet, New York Theatre Wire

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“There are also distinctive performances by Chris Martel, Robert Arcaro, Raphael Del Rio, Carly Grissom, and Adama Joy Sall.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

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“...Adama Joy Sall has several shining scenes singing the play's numerous songs... All the tunes are good...”
— Jon Sobel, Blogcritics

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“The original music by Natalie Smith, Andrew Gombas, Adama Joy Sall, and David Marantz beautifully transforms the atmosphere of the parking lot into the mystical and magical Forest of Arden.”
— Domenick Danza, More Than a Play

06/24/2026

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM - The 30th Year

09/22/2024

16 years
We were driving
To a show
We were performing
Just outside town
First time
I'd had the two of them
In the same ride
Since..... well,
16 years ago
They were talking
They couldn't believe
How long has it been?

I thought
That's a company

photo: Hamilton Clancy
Ivory & Brandon

08/04/2024

The Rain It Raineth Every Day

As an actor, when you close a play, it can sometimes be sprinkled with sadness.
But when you do, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot it can be sprinkled with madness.

Like last night.

The actors in our theater company has been called ‘intrepid’ on many occasions.

We started in a parking lot, with sheets of rain coming down.

It subsided, we put up a tent and some chairs, then more rain. And audience.
We had an audience in the pouring rain
WAITING for the show.

Then OP offered us a bigger tent. And we put that up. ‘We’ being a a couple of actors and Eli, the only intern this summer doing the work of seven without ever flinching.

Eli, man. Dude with a cowboy hat and long hair who showed up with a motto of ‘ I show up, how can I help?’. Believe this, and it’s almost too incredible to be true: the young man never once looked at his cell phone. He just asked, ‘What’s next?’

So now we’re in the pouring rain with the big extra tent. somehow, I’ve figured out how audience member could sit under the tent and not feel the sheets of rain.

And rain can make a lot of noise when it’s hitting asphalt.

Now the actors have begun to arrive with excitement. They are so excited to do this play even in these adverse conditions. It’s more than a little inspiring.

But I’ve got to say no. That’s my job. I am the no guy. After I have gathered everyone together with a, ‘yes, we can,’
I just have to say no when it’s not safe enough.

And, I do. I did.

And there was disappointment - and the audience members waiting with umbrellas under the tent, and seemingly willing to give it a go, and in the actors who knew we would not have a closing performance, after this magic generosity seemed to make things possible - It was the right thing to do. I don’t always make the right call. And I will never get any credit for making this one because someone else would’ve made it along, long time before, like when they just looked at the weather radar.

When you are ‘never say die’, and then you have to turn around and ‘say die’

 And then what happen next was so spontaneous and organic I can’t even begin to track exactly how it happened, but I do know was certainty there was generosity, just pure generosity, from someone we didn’t know who had nothing to do with the theater company or even anything to do with theater.

But they had the keys to a nearby space and they opened the door for the actors and the audience.

The play had been given permission to happen.

‘What You Will’ is the other name for 12th night. And everything about this evening was as 12th night as 12th night can be.

The audience assembled safely inside the space. The actors grabbed a couple of necessary prompts and costumes. Rudimentary Sharon bench and we were off.

At some point after we had begun flying before the audience a caretaker came to me and told me we would need to be out of the space 40 minutes shorter than our play was to last.

Without hesitation, we flew forward and begin cutting sections of the play on the fly.

And when were Keno utter the line, “ and his fancy’s queen” to conclude the play. It happened on almost the exact second of the witching hour.

And then we were gone.

And the play was done.

Our revels now had ended.

There were sweet goodbyes, plots to continue some other time as you’re almost always are when the fire has burned well and deep and bright in the midst of generous players, and our fond adieu.

I think we all left with some feeling of having been insanely, terribly alive.
And if there is magic in theater, surely it must’ve been ours for a night.

08/03/2024

08/03/2024

it happened last night:

08/03/2024

One more night! tonight, Saturday, August 3, 2024 will try to beat the rain again!!