The Ohio State University Department of Theatre presents As You Like It, by William Shakespeare, adapted for young audiences and directed by Maureen Ryan. The show plays on Friday, February 7 at 10 am and 7:30 pm; Saturday, February 8 at 3 pm and 7:30 pm; and Sunday, February 9 at 3 pm at Lincoln Theatre, 769 East Long St.
Ohio State returns to the Lincoln Theatre following the popularity of last year's Twelfth Night with this 75-minute adaptation of Shakespeare's pastoral comedy. Fortune and nature go head-to-head in As You Like It when Rosalind and Orlando, banished from the court, are forced to flee to the Forest of Arden in an attempt to outwit their fortunes and test the true nature of love.
The production has been conceptualized in collaboration with the director and the teachers from area schools who have been involved in the Stand Up for Shakespeare program with the Royal Shakespeare Company. The production emphasizes educational aims and the play's relevance to young people. It is geared to ages 8 and up. Explains the director, "I'm working with the teachers to prepare the children for the production and I'm working to make it as accessible to the kids as possible, while keeping the text of the play completely intact." Ryan said she wants to give the play a contemporary, urban setting that will resonate with the students. Act 1 for instance, will be set in a school gym. While the characters will maintain the social roles designated in the play, the conceptual treatment will help children relate to them as various individuals that could be seen at a school, from well-to-do-students and star athletes to janitors, a referee and a teacher.Videos