Shakespeare in the Park Puzzle 
by Guest Writer Roberta Shore

We invite you to read Roberta Shore's review on the following jigsaw puzzle. Since she has discovered the advantages of jigsaw puzzling, she has reviewed/journaled several that will be available on this website. 
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Shakespeare in the Park Puzzle - Roberta's Review

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Shakespeare in the Park

New York Puzzle Company
Ribbon Cut
100 Pieces
Finished Dimensions: 9” x 7”

My Confident Puzzler Difficulty Rating: “Play”fully Easy

Shakespeare in the Park is a term for outdoor festivals featuring productions of William Shakespeare's plays. The term originated with the New York Shakespeare Festival in New York City's Central Park. The first version of Shakespeare in the Park began over 60 years ago with a production of Julius Caesar in 1956. Its current Central Park home, the Delacorte Theatre, opened in 1962 with The Merchant of Venice, starring George C. Scott and James Earl Jones.This concept has been adapted by many theatre companies, and over time, this name has expanded to encompass outdoor theatre productions of the playwright's works performed all over the world.

This cheeky New Yorker cover made me smile. And the simple pleasure of piecing it together was relaxing and fun!

I knew the word cheeky and wanted to use it, but I didn’t know the exact meaning. When I googled it, the dictionary definition seemed too derogatory. I kept hunting and found this quote in answer to the question . . .
“Why do Brits say cheeky so often?”

“Brits are famous for their sense of humour, and we like to take life a little less seriously than other nations do. We take pleasure in being playful, so we often use the word “cheeky” to describe small, fun, frivolous activities that make us smile.”

Well, that certainly seemed appropriate given the subject of this puzzle is Britain’s most noted playwright. Listen, it’s not easy to fill up a review about a 100 piece puzzle, so I thought it terribly clever to add that information. Am I being cheeky now?

Quality: One point away from A+ — loose piece fit. Not that much of an issue, with so few pieces. Otherwise it comes in a very small (4” x 4” x 1.5”), travel size, sturdy box. The full illustration is on the box top. Inside is a sealed bag of pieces. There was no puzzle dust. The solid pieces have the least bit of sheen. None were damaged or together uncut, none were missing.

Getting started: Find the edge pieces and sort by color. After turning all the pieces face up, I pulled out the edge pieces, then sorted out the text, the trees, the foliage and grass, the parts of the Shakespeares, and the solid yellow and solid brown areas. Asking why bother? It only took a couple minutes, why not? (Cheeky still?)

Construction: I built the frame first. I filled in the rest starting from the top. Okay, there was no challenge, just fun, and that’s just fine, at least sometimes.

Final thoughts: Yes, challenge is built in to a lot of puzzle illustrations, and definitely can enhance the puzzling experience, but participating in the puzzling process always is the same - it clears the mind and offers calm. So, a 100 piece puzzle has its place for lots of reasons. You only have a free hour or so — get a puzzle fix! Traveling for work or play - throw these in your travel bag and enjoy puzzling at the end of a busy day. When it’s about time to go to sleep, sit up in bed, put a small foam board on your lap, and do one to relax. The NY Puzzle Company calls their sizable selection of 100 piece puzzles “Mini” but they have a nice presence when complete. Many are artful and can be displayed in a ready made 9” x 7” frame. (Because of loose piece fit, glue or tape is required.) Most of all, they are just plain, unadulterated fun!

My grades: Quality A-, Fun Factor A++

There's More To Jigsaw Puzzles Than Pieces Book by Linda Richard. A compilation of 50+ jigsaw puzzle related topics, tips and tricks written in conversational format for easy, light reading.There's More To Jigsaw Puzzles Than Pieces Book by Linda Richard. A compilation of 50+ jigsaw puzzle related topics, tips and tricks written in conversational format for easy, light reading. Click Here
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - With her self-published book and  over 300 jigsaw puzzle reviews,  Linda has established herself as a prominent social media marketing influencer and jigsaw puzzle-preneur.  If you want to send Linda a quick message, visit her contact page here.

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