Ohio State University Theatre to Present AS YOU LIKE IT for Younger Audiences, 2/7-9

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.

She added that the heart of As You Like It is a tale of loss and redemption, an expression of Shakespeare's love of humanity. The "joyful play" follows Rosalind and Orlando as they grapple with good and evil, love and hate, envy and generosity, bettering their fortunes and uniting a community in celebration and joy.

Tickets are $15 general public; $10 Ohio State faculty, staff and Alumni Association members; $10 senior citizens, $5 students and children (K-12). Tickets may be purchased at the Theatre Box Office, 1849 Cannon Dr. Call (614) 292-2295 or email theatre-tix@osu.edu.

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