Reviews

“The Approval Matrix: Week of February 11, 2013: Highbrow/Brilliant!” “In Women of Will, the majestic Tina Packer, pushing 75 (and not an Elizabethan man in drag) plays all of Shakespeare’s great women in a night, at the Judson.” Read the full article on New York Magazine

“Review: Captivating, Eloquent ‘Women of Will’” by Jennifer Farrar “She and her director Eric Tucker must have had a difficult time pruning the original, as her enthusiasm for her subject matter is boundless and irresistible. The result is a bit like having a time-traveling speed-date with Shakespeare and his work, which leaves you wanting more.” [...]

“Woman’s broad study of the Bard’s works” Needless to say, Packer knows her stuff. You’ll leave the Gym at Judson having learned a thing or 10, which is more than you can say about many classes. And let’s face it, the show, directed by Eric Tucker, gives out such a pedagogical vibe that you’re tempted [...]

“A CurtainUp Review: Women of Will”  “Gore, who plays the male characters and at first seems a mere foil suddenly comes alive here as York, fiercely confronting Margaret with her inhumanity: "O tiger's heart wrapt in a woman's hide." Indeed it doesn't get any crueler than this in Shakespeare's canon, and Packer nails it with [...]

“Lust Braided with Erudition” “Packer and Gore end the evening with the last words Shakespeare wrote in Henry VIII.  "Who from the sacred ashes of her honor Shall starlike rise as great in fame as she was, And so stand fix’d.” In its future orientation The Bard sounds not so much Tudor as Stuart.  As [...]

“Tina Packer Highlights Shakespeare Women of Will Highlights” “In Women of Will, playing at the Gym at Judson, the audience is treated to a Shakespeare class and Ms. Packer’s and, her co-conspirator, Nigel Gore’s intelligent performances. In a sense, it is like Shakespearean cliff notes. Both are exquisite actors and when they perform it is a treat.” [...]

“This evening is not overdressed, just two actors performing scenes and monologues and casually giving explanations in between, but do not let these simplistic measures deceive – Women of Will is one of the most hypnotic, mesmerizing, and stimulating shows playing in fair NYC, where we lay our scene.” Read the full article on Theatre Is Easy

“Ah, the women of Will! That’s Will Shakespeare, by the way. He sure knew how to write a play, and Tina Packer sure knows how to bring his female creations to startling, intense, vivid life. She is an electrifying actress. Combine her dramatic force with the genius of Shakespeare’s writing and be engulfed in an evening of [...]