Video: AS YOU LIKE IT Musical Adaptation Gets Midwest Premiere at Writers Theatre
Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery’s musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy runs October 30–December 14 in Glencoe
By: A.A. Cristi Nov. 04, 2025
Writers Theatre will present the Midwest premiere of As You Like It, a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy. Watch video highlights from the show!
Adapted by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery with music and lyrics by Taub, the production is directed by Braden Abraham and will run from October 30 through December 14, 2025, at the theatre’s Nichols Theatre in Glencoe.
The musical combines Shakespeare’s original language with Taub’s contemporary score to reinterpret the story of Rosalind and Celia, two young women who flee court life for the freedom of the Forest of Arden. Within the forest’s shifting community of exiles, wrestlers, clowns, and poets, love and disguise challenge conventional ideas of power and belonging.
The cast includes Phoebe Gonzalez as Rosalind, Andrea San Miguel as Celia, Benjamin Mathew as Orlando, and Jackson Evans as Touchstone. Paul Oakley Stovall appears as Duke Senior, Dakota Hughes as Phoebe, Scott Aiello as Duke Frederick, Janet Ulrich Brooks as Agent and Mama Corin, and Torrey Hanson as Adam and Papa Corin. The ensemble also features Elisa Carlson, Matt Edmonds, Elliot Esquivel, Anand Nagraj, Jeff Rodriguez, Grace Steckler, and Matthew C. Yee as Jaques.
The creative team includes scenic designers Sara Ryung Clement and Jacelyn Stewart, Costume Designer Raquel Adorno, lighting designers Eric Southern and Daphne Agosin, and sound designer Lindsay Jones. Max Fabian serves as violence and intimacy director, Eva Breneman as text coach, and Bobby Kennedy as dramaturg. Stage management is by Miranda Anderson with Natalie Cohen and Zoe Jennings as assistant stage managers.
Performances will take place on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The press opening is scheduled for Friday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m. Special performances include open-captioned and ASL-interpreted shows on November 20 and 22 and Pay-What-You-Can performances on October 30 and November 30.
All performances are at the Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols Theatre, 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe. Ticket prices range from $35 to $115, with discounts available for students, educators, veterans, and public-service professionals. Tickets and additional information are available at writerstheatre.org or by calling 847-242-6000.
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