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Into The Woods A Big Hit With Craigslist Scalpers
By
Garth Johnston
Published Aug 2, 2012
Modified Aug 2, 2012
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By
Garth Johnston
Published Aug 2, 2012
Modified Aug 2, 2012
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This is why we can't have nice things. Since it started previews, the lines for the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of Into The Woods have been looong. It is hard to say if they have been longer than the lines for Mike Nichols's star-studded production of The Seagull (they used to split the line between uptown and downtown back then) but we're talking people setting-up-before-dawn-long here. Which makes the schmucks scalping the FREE tickets on Craigslist all the more infuriating (though the idea of being "experienced reliable linesitters" is pretty great).
Now technically what these people are doing isn't illegal. But, sort of like offering just the Sondheim classic's first act for wuss parents and their brats, it isn't right, either. As the Public notes:
The Public Theater does not condone the scalping of tickets. Scalping is not illegal in New York State; however, selling free tickets for personal profit goes against the mission to make Shakespeare in the Park free for all. Tickets obtained through third parties other than The Public Theater may not be valid. Any audience member found in possession of such tickets may not be admitted to the theater.
Look: Shakespeare in the Park is a wonderful free New York tradition and we all need to keep it that way. Yes, it is a pain to wait on line. Yes, the wait can make you so tired by the time of the actual show you start to drift off, but them's the breaks. Friends don't let friends buy scalped tickets. Don't be afraid to snitch on scalpers! The standby line is always full and ready to fill those spots. And on the plus side, it does appear that Craigslist is taking many of these offers down as quickly as they go up.
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experienced linesitters
into the woods
public theater
shakespeare in the park
Garth Johnston
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