The New Victory Theater Presents The Acting Company's AS YOU LIKE IT, Now thru 3/10

New York's The Acting Company, a TONY Honors Recipient for Excellence in Theater, brings Shakespeare's lushly lighthearted comedy As You Like It to The New Victory Theater as part of their 40th anniversary season. Directed by Pig Iron Theatre Company's Dan Rothenberg, As You Like It by The Acting Company will make its New York Premiere at The New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street, from tonight, March 1-10, 2013.

The Acting Company debuted As You Like It at the Guthrie Theater's Dowling Studio from January 12 - February 3; The Acting Company last performed at The New Victory Theater in 2009 with a staging of Henry V directed by Davis McCallum.

For this frolicsome, Jazz Age-styled Shakespearean saga, director Dan Rothenberg counts Maurice Sendak's seminal 1963 children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, among his inspirations. "Rosalind and her boyfriend Orlando's flight of fancy into exile allows them to visit their wild side. They discover that the Forest of Arden is rendered by a child: messy, whimsical, full of animals personified and humans that are beastly," says Rothenberg. "In Shakespeare's As You Like It, characters explore various forms of the stages of life - the natural and the man-made, the selfish and the generous, the frightening and embracing - reminding us that we are all simply mammals that require the greatest healing of all: love," he adds.

Dan Rothenberg's recent New York presentations include Zero Cost House (Under the Radar 2013); Annihilation Point (Berserker Residents, Abrons Art Center 2011) and Enjoy (Play Company, 59E59 2010). As a founding member and co-artistic director of Philadelphia's Pig Iron Theatre Company, he directed the OBIE Award-winning Chekhov Lizardbrain (2007) and Hell Meets Henry Halfway (2004); in addition to many of the company's other productions, including Twelfth Night, or What You Will (2011); Cankerblossom (2010); and Sweet By-and-By (2008).

Also joining from Pig Iron are Michael Kiley for Music and Sound Design, Sarah Sanford for Choreography and Matt Saunders for Scenic Design. The remaining creative team includes Michael Chybowski for Lighting Design, Felix Ivanoff for Fight Direction, Terese Wadden for Costume Design and Andrew Wade for Voice and Speech. Devin Brain serves as Staff Repertory Director, Gina Noele Odierno is the Production Stage Manager, and Brandon Curtis is the Assistant Stage Manager.

The production features University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater B.F.A. Actor Training Program graduates Megan Bartle (Celia), Buddy Haardt (Oliver), Kelsey Landon (Phoebe), Michael McDonald (Silvius/Le Beau), Noah Putterman (Amiens/William) and Elizabeth Stahlmann (Rosalind). The cast also includes A Guthrie Experience for Actors in Training alumnus Jasmine Bracey (Audrey). Returning with The Acting Companyare Ray Chapman (Duke Frederick/Sir Archibald Martext), Joseph Midyett (Orlando) and Chris Thorn (Jacques). The cast is completed by Christopher Michael McFarland (Tourstone), Joseph Tisa (Adam/Corin) and Yaegel T. Welch (Duke Senior/Charles the Wrestler).