{"id":11787,"date":"2022-11-02T14:52:25","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T18:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.cah.ucf.edu\/?post_type=news&p=11787"},"modified":"2022-11-02T14:52:25","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T18:52:25","slug":"theatre-ucfs-as-you-like-it-explores-society-and-identity-with-love-laughter-and-music","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/cah.ucf.edu\/news\/theatre-ucfs-as-you-like-it-explores-society-and-identity-with-love-laughter-and-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Theatre UCF\u2019s As You Like It Explores Society and Identity with Love, Laughter and Music"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A<\/a>In Shakespeare\u2019s niche comedy As You Like It<\/i>, the character Jacques famously proclaims, \u201call the world\u2019s a stage.\u201d But in Theatre UCF\u2019s production of the play, the world is reflected on stage with modern\u00a0insight.<\/p>\n

Reimagined in 1930\u2019s Europe, Theatre UCF\u2019s As You Like It<\/i> comments on the faults of society\u2019s power structures without sacrificing hope and fun. Full of Shakespeare\u2019s classic tropes like gender-swapping, love triangles and comedic misunderstandings, the play also subverts many audience expectations. As You Like It<\/i> opens Thursday, Nov. 10 at the Black Box Theatre at 7:30 p.m. and runs through Nov. 20.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor this season, I wanted to direct a play that gave us the possibility of regeneration and renewal,\u201d says Director Vivian Majkowski. \u201cEspecially with the social and cultural morass that this country is in, and also coming out of lockdowns and COVID measures, As You Like It<\/i> offers a space for people to remember love, connection and the idea that when we pause and see what\u2019s around us, the beauty is infinite.\u201d<\/p>\n

The story follows Rosalind, the Duke\u2019s daughter, who is banished from the court after her\u00a0uncle usurps the throne. She, her cousin Celia, and the court jester flee to the Forest of Arden where they encounter an array of colorful characters including Rosalind\u2019s love interest, Orlando. In the freedom of the forest, Rosalind and Orlando establish their identities beyond gender roles and societal expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Forest of Arden represents the possibilities of the human soul outside the need for pomp and accolades,\u201d Majkowski says. \u201cIt’s about learning how to listen. It’s about learning how to speak your needs and your truth. It’s about trying to be vulnerable. And in that state of vulnerability, the possibility of love, love that is true, can be realized.\u201d<\/p>\n

Originally a five-act play, Theatre UCF\u2019s interpretation is shortened to one hour and a half act, focusing on the heart of the story\u2019s action. Tyler Stevens, a first year MFA acting<\/a> student who plays Orlando, hopes the fast-paced production will make Shakespeare more accessible for new audiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a really great show for people who maybe have written off Shakespeare,\u201d Stevens says. \u201cWe had a long table process at the beginning of rehearsal which not only helped us understand what we were saying but gave us an opportunity to really fall in love with the story and the text and the characters before getting on our feet and fully bringing the play to life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shakespeare wrote five songs for As You Like It<\/i>, and it is considered his only \u201cmusical\u201d. In Theatre UCF\u2019s production, student actors will sing\u00a0and play instruments on stage. Some songs will feature Shakespeare\u2019s original lyrics set to 1930\u2019s tunes, and others are replaced in favor of period songs\u00a0like \u201cStardust\u201d and \u201cTiptoe Through the Tulips.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve set the play in the 1930\u2019s as a frame to help us see all the themes of the play reflected in our day,\u201d Majkowski says. \u201cBesides the universality of love at first sight, the human desire for power and its corrupting effects leading to the \u2018envious court\u2019 in\u00a0our play has parallels in the fascism of the 1930\u2019s and its rise today. Humans are creatures of habit and Shakespeare, better\u00a0than any dramatist, helps us see those desires and impulses clearly again and again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $10 for students with ID from any school. The full show schedule and tickets are available here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The cast and crew will be hosting a talkback on Sunday, Nov. 13 directly following the performance in the Black Box Theatre.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Enter the magical Forest of Arden in Theatre UCF\u2019s production of this Shakespeare comedy ripe with themes of hope, redemption and self-discovery. 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