“All the world’s a stage” or “A fool! A fool! I met a fool in the forest!” You may have heard this prose before if you’ve ever studied Shakespeare in school or have read his collections. Regardless of your experience with his work, Centenary’s Marjorie Lyons Playhouse and guest Director Heather Peak-Hooper will present a fresh take on William Shakespeare’s As You Like It Thursday, October 2, to Saturday, October 4, at 8 p.m. and a matinee performance Sunday, October 5, at 2 p.m. This event is bound to please the Shakespeare-curious and the die-hard thespian who knows the catalog by heart.
This comedy is a fresh twist on the classic setup of star-crossed lovers and enchanted forests. “As You Like It is unusual as a Shakespearean comedy in that so much of the action happens offstage. It also has the most gender layers of any of his plays. The female role of Rosalind would have been played by a boy during Shakespeare’s day. So the audience would have seen a boy pretending to be a woman who pretends to be a boy who then pretends to be a woman. Whew!,” says director Peak-Hooper. M. Logan Sledge, Assistant Professor of Theatre at Centenary, adds that As You Like It contains themes that we can all relate to, “The uniqueness of this play resides in the fact that Shakespeare presents a searing parody of the notion of courtly love by drawing a contrast between romantic love versus realistic love.”
The performance is staged “in the round,” giving the audience a different experience with the actors. “The characters connect with the audience directly,” says Peak-Hooper. “They can touch you.”
The stage design will also add depth to the event, with the colors and space adjusting to the themes of the play. The clothing and music are contemporary, giving this performance an air of familiarity for the audience. Another great feature of this particular performance is the “Talk Back Session” with Peak-Hooper and Centenary English professor Steve Shelburne to help guide you through the themes, performances, staging, and other topics including “the accessibility of Shakespeare’s play to modern audiences, historical context, and interpretation.”
Seating is limited with doors opening 30 minutes prior to the show. Tickets can be purchased at the door and online; cost is $15 for adults; $10 for seniors, alumni, and military; and $5 for non-Centenary students. Centenary students, faculty, and staff are admitted free.