The Forest of Arden is where you head when the city can’t get you. When laws are unjust, when customs limit, when institutions squeeze and shrink you, finally here is a space to breathe and exist. did. (A lone tree remains in Inwood Hill Park.) But if you squint a little in Central Park on a summer night, you can imagine a forest here. Refuge, grace and tranquility.
No need to squint.as you like, a sparkling Shakespeare adaptation at the Delacorte Theater, courtesy of Public Works.adapted by Laurie Woolleydirector, singer-songwriter Shaina Taub, offering music and lyrics, this straightforward and purposeful show gives the typical delights of Shakespearean comedy—adventures, disguises, multiple marriages, pentagons for a few days. And in just 90 minutes, dozens of actors and hundreds of spectators come together as citizens of the same joyful community.
Taub and Woolery’s adaptation maintains the outline of the original while shortening and tightening the talkie to make room for the song. Rosalind (Rebecca Naomi Jones), the daughter of the exiled Duke Sr. (Darius de Haas), instantly falls in love with Orlando (At Blankson-Wood), the younger son of a dead nobleman. . Threatened by the current Duke (Eric Pierre), they flee with friends and servants to the Forest of Arden, where the Duke Sr. forms an alternative, more equal court.
Taub played the emo philosopher Jack, singing “All the world’s a stage/And everyone’s in the show/Nobody’s a pro.” increase.
These lyrics do a lot of work and do more than paraphrase. “As You Like It” public works, a division of Public Theater affiliated with community groups. The song thus acts as a sort of preemptive apology, an acknowledgment of amateurism. But the dialogue also acts as an invitation, inducing you to imagine yourself as part of the show and participate in the making of it. Big question? perhaps. At night when the breeze is blowing, when the city is quiet and the lights are on, it doesn’t feel like that. And for those of you who are pale and trembling at the thought of audience participation, take a breather. You may want to sing, but you don’t even have to sing along.
I first saw As You Like It during its short run at the Delacorte Theater in the summer of 2017. It was after the travel ban was issued and before the broad adoption of the Trump administration’s family separation policy. At the time, every scroll felt like a scroll of fate. Opening the morning paper was to start the day with fresh dread. Things could and have gotten worse. I remember experiencing the show in deep tears as a temporary respite.
Now that disaster doesn’t seem so imminent, revisiting it is all about relaxing into the brisk joy of work. Jones is the dynamic Rosalind. And if you admired Branson Wood on “Slave Play,” you’ll enjoy his playful turns here, as on his raving R&B number “Will U Be My Bride.” But the success of the show is not due to individual performers, but to the generous and gregarious whole. Taub’s lyrics are simple, but writing lines that feel effortless takes effort.the same can be said Sonya TaiyeRe-staging by Billy Griffin, the fluid choreography of , which accommodates all body types, and Woolley’s nonchalant use of stage space.
The stage itself has a strangely flimsy set by Myung Hee Cho, with turntables dotted with trees that don’t look much like trees. But Emilio Sosa’s costume and Isabella Bird’s lighting provide a happy splash of color: James Ortiz designed the deer puppet.If it lacks the emotional weight of the cow he designed current resurrection You can’t have all of ‘Into the Woods’. That “Into the Woods” revival is overseen by Leah Debessonne, who started Public Works, which Woolley now heads. So it’s no wonder that the two most entertaining shows in New York City right now, the two most tackling issues of community and duty and care, share this motherhood, but it’s just as strange.
If As You Like It succeeds as entertainment, and so fluently that you wonder if Shakespeare in the Park should stick to comedy and musicals and the occasional romance, it’s more Clarify and Answer Serious Concerns There is a deep-rooted fear in American politics that giving liberty could lead to anarchy. “As You Like It” offers another possibility. There is no rule of law in Arden Forest. But rather than descending into riots, residents practice mutual aid. They live in harmony, figuratively and — as De Haas swoops over and around the melody — literally.
This confirms that Woolery and Taub’s adaptation is a kind of thought experiment. What would happen if communities were free to determine their own best principles and practices? The show is also a proof of concept, as it has a growing cast. Of course, there is hierarchy here. Woolery is the only direction, and people with Equity cards play a major role. (To lie to Taub’s lyrics, Someone’s Professional. )
But if theaters were made truly welcoming and accessible to all, this could happen. “As You Like It” offers that rarity — a New York theater that looks like the city itself and promises what the city will be like at its best. I feel like
What a feat! And what a gift! Here you go. Wait in line, then walk through the canopy of trees to the theater. Please take refuge here for a while.
as you like
Until September 11th at the Delacorte Theater in Manhattan. publictheater.orgPerformance time: 1 hour 30 minutes.