Review: AS YOU LIKE IT at Hudson Valley Shakespeare

Hudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS) presents a lively, music-filled production of Shakespeare’s beloved romantic comedy, As You Like It, at its new permanent home, the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center in Garrison, New York. Directed by Miriam Laube, the production runs from June 10 through September 18, 2026.  

This season marks the debut of HVS’s stunning new $41 million timber-framed, open-air theater, designed by Studio Gang. Perched atop a hill on the former Garrison Golf Club property, the venue offers breathtaking views of the Hudson Highlands, creating a memorable backdrop for live performance.  As part of its inaugural season, HVS is presenting several productions in rotating repertory. Theatergoers can enhance their visit by pairing As You Like It with performances of King Lear or Les Misérables.

Perhaps it’s a reflection of the times we’re living in, but Shakespeare’s Forest of Arden feels especially inviting right now. In Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s enchanting production of As You Like It, the woodland retreat offers a welcome respite from the noise and pressures of everyday life. Bathed in natural light and filled with a sense of calm, this pastoral haven becomes more than a setting. It becomes a sanctuary, inviting audiences to step away from the world and lose themselves in romance, comedy, and possibility for a few hours.

Light, lively, and filled with romance, mistaken identities, and gender-swapping antics, As You Like It remains one of Shakespeare’s most accessible comedies. The playful scenes in the Forest of Arden evoke a sense of youthful nostalgia. There is something almost familiar about its world; like High school, attending sporting events, navigating crushes, friendships, rivalries, and family expectations. Brothers feud, fathers attempt to control their daughters’ futures, and best friends giggle together while dissecting their latest romantic interests and making plans for their next encounter.
Shakespeare fills the play with wonderfully sharp dialogue, quick-witted exchanges, and perfectly timed zingers that leave characters humbled and audiences laughing. Yet beneath the humor are moments of genuine reflection, including the famous “All the World’s a Stage” speech, which briefly pauses the celebration to consider the passage of time and the roles we play in life. Even in these quieter moments, the production never loses its sense of joy, building toward a finale that is as exuberant as it is satisfying, complete with no fewer than four weddings.

At its center is the gentle romance between Rosalind and Orlando. Their courtship captures the essence of young love: flushed faces, wide smiles, and the exhilaration of first attraction. Keshav Moodliar as Orlando possesses the eager energy of a puppy, bounding through the forest and covering every available surface with love poems dedicated to his beloved.

Helen Cespedes as Rosalind feels like a genuinely modern heroine. A gifted physical comedian, she winks, shrugs, giggles, and charms her way into the audience’s affection.  
She is paired beautifully with Celia, played by Safiya Harris, whose charm, wit, and flair for the dramatic make her the perfect counterpart to Rosalind’s spirited energy.
They are exceptional together, filling every scene they share with sharp comic timing, warmth, and effortless chemistry. Their spirited banter and genuine affection capture the humor, loyalty, and support of a close female friendship. While their conversations about love, especially Rosalind’s passionate feelings for Orlando, provide some of the play’s biggest laughs, the pair also bring a sincerity that makes their bond deeply touching and one of the production’s greatest strengths.

Luis Quintero is equally impressive as Touchstone, the sharp-tongued fool who arrives in the forest completely out of his element yet approaches his new surroundings with theatrical confidence and dry self-awareness. His flirtation and eventual union with Kiara Geolina’s boldly sensual Audrey add another layer of comic energy.

The ever-melancholy Jaques (Sean McNail) delivers some of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues and arguably some of the play’s sharpest lines. Known for his unexplained melancholy, Jaques carries a quiet sadness beneath his biting wit. McNail’s performance is marked by subtlety and a thoughtful understanding of the character’s weariness with the world.

And Zack Fine and Melissa Mahoney find endless comic possibilities in Silvius and Phoebe, the pair of lovelorn and misguided shepherds whose romantic desperation becomes both hilarious and surprisingly relatable.

Under Miriam Laube’s precise direction, the entire ensemble cast delivers an outstanding performance. Each actor brings depth and authenticity to their role, uncovering the complexities of their characters and the relationships that drive the comedy’s intricate, ever-evolving plot. Laube makes exceptional use of the space, embracing the theater’s three-sided design with constant movement and lively pacing that keeps the production feeling immediate and engaging. The frequent audience interaction and playful fourth wall-breaking moments further strengthen that connection, ensuring the entire theater remains part of the experience. Laube also wisely avoids placing the production within a specific historical period, moving beyond a traditional Elizabethan setting to create what she describes as an “imagined wild world.” This approach allows Shakespeare’s text to feel both timeless and deeply connected to its surroundings. Rather than presenting the Forest of Arden as a distant woodland, the production transforms it into a reflection of the Hudson Highlands itself, shaped by the landscape surrounding the theater and the natural beauty of the region.

The production is further enhanced by Buffy Cardoza’s inventive props, Herin Kaputkin’s expressive costume design, and Jeff Croiter’s atmospheric lighting, with each element helping bring this enchanted world to life. Special credit is also due to Stage Manager Daniel Vaughn, who keeps the production running seamlessly.

The production’s use of music is one of its most distinctive features. Since As You Like It is already one of Shakespeare’s most musical comedies, HVS fully embraces that quality with 14 original compositions by director and composer Amanda Dehnert. The songs do not simply accompany the action; they help build the world of the play, adding rhythm, emotion, and a sense of community to the forest.  
Adding to the magic is the actor-musician ensemble, with cast members serving as both performers and live musicians. As well as Refiye Tappan on Piano. Guided by music supervisor Carl Howell, who also plays Amiens, the company creates the score together onstage, allowing the music to feel like a natural extension of the characters’ lives. The result is a production in which storytelling, sound, and setting are seamlessly intertwined.

The new Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center enhances this connection even further. The open-air, timber-framed space allows the music to blend with the surrounding landscape, making the Hudson Highlands feel like an extension of the play itself. In this version of As You Like It, the forest is not simply a place the characters escape to, it is a world that welcomes the audience inside.

Productions like this demonstrate why the HVS continues to enjoy such an esteemed reputation. The company has a remarkable ability to reimagine classic works in inventive and contemporary ways while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original text. This adaptation is no exception, fresh, imaginative, and thoroughly engaging. It is a production that audiences are likely to remember long after the final curtain.

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