Can the spaghetti-eating philistines of the underground appreciate some perfectly-spewed Shakespearen prose? Two Brooklyn-based fellas—twenty-somethings Paul Marino and Fred Jones—are currently acting out scenes from Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar. And they're doing it right on the moving, oft-crowded subway cars.
You can typically find "Popeye and Cloudy" (the name the two-man troupe goes by) on the J, M, Z, N, R and L trains. According to PSFK, they perform around 20 hours every week (since January) and earn up to $20 per performance.
Do straphangers want Shakespeare on their subway rides? Well, even the giggling cameraman in the below video declares: "You know, I'm pretty f*cking impressed." So was the Wall Street Journal, who recently went along for a ride with the duo.
Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.
I saw these guys on the L headed toward Williamsburg and I must admit, they were good and entertaining. I like Shakespeare, so this is refreshing compared to the street performs doing flips and the Mexicans w/guitars. Or some random crackhead preaching about the end of the world.
I saw them do Caeser (SO GOOD) but the best part was the two breakdancing kids that got on the same train car at 1st Ave on the L to BK. The kids were total dicks and fully tried to actually, physically fight them for control of the car, even getting into it with some lady. In typical Shakespeare fashion, people pretty much booed them off the train. Popeye and Cloudy FTW.
I saw them do Caeser (SO GOOD) but the best part was the two breakdancing kids that got on the same train car at 1st Ave on the L to BK. The kids were total dicks and fully tried to actually, physically fight them for control of the car, even getting into it with some lady. In typical Shakespeare fashion, people pretty much booed them off the train. Popeye and Cloudy FTW.
Use an RSS reader to stay up to date with the latest news and posts from Gothamist.
Want Gothamist's suggestions on what shows to check out, where to eat, what to buy, where to go for a quick trip? We'll be bringing you some exclusive tips and ideas via email every day! And don't worry—you'll still get a list of our top stories.
Sign up for Gothamist Daily, which will deliver useful tips—plus Gothamist's most popular stories—to your inbox at 11 a.m. This way, you'll be able to plan your week or month as well as catch up on Gothamist if you've stepped away.
$250 VIP GoogaMooga Tickets: You Would've Gotten More Full Eating The Money
Your Summer 2012 Top 10 Blockbuster Movie Guide!
Photos: Experience "NASA's" Amazing Mission To Mars Inside The Park Ave Armory
7 Best Rooftop Bars In NYC, For Your High-Altitude Drinking Pleasure
White Fence's Tim Presley Talks Recording With Ty Segall, Brooklyn's Blandness, & Peeing With His Cat
24 Magnificent Photos Of Manhattan Peacocks To Take The Edge Off Today
Mike Birbiglia Ate In An Airplane Bathroom, And Other Stories From The Moth Ball
John Hodgman Talks Nick Nolte, His Deranged Mustache, & How Money Buys Happiness
Videos: Mourning And Celebrating Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch
Photos: Police And Protesters Clash By Wall Street After Euphoric May Day March
