NVA Returns to Shakespeare in the Park with AS YOU LIKE IT, Opens 10/6

New Village Arts Theatre and Moonlight Cultural Foundation are teaming up to bring Shakespeare in the Park back to North County San Diego. Shakespeare's romantic comedy AS YOU LIKE IT will be set in 1969 New Orleans, with the Forest of Arden located in the bayou outside of the city.

 AS YOU LIKE IT is directed by University of San Diego professor Liz Shipman and features the award-winning Karson St. John as Rosalind, Justin Lang as Orlando and Grandison M. Phelps III as both Duke Frederick and Duke Senior. The multi-cultural cast of 17 will bring the sights, sounds and seduction of 1969 New Orleans to life on the stage of the newly refurbished Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista, in a fun-loving romp suitable for all audiences. The production will be playing at Moonlight Amphitheatre (1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista, CA 92084, in Brengle Terrace Park) from October 6-10, 2010 at 7:30 PM each evening. The official opening night is Wednesday, October 6 at 7:30 PM. Tickets can be purchased at www.vistixonline.com or by calling 760-724-2110.

What if, moments after meeting the love of your life, you were banished from your home? That's what happens to Shakespeare's greatest heroine, Rosalind, in AS YOU LIKE IT. Her journey and the fates of those around her are captured in this magical, comedic romp in the Forest of Arden.
New Village Arts has produced six previous Shakespeare in the Park productions, including AS YOU LIKE IT, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, TWELFTH NIGHT, THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, HAMLET and JULIUS CAESAR in Carlsbad's Stagecoach Park and at La Costa Canyon High School's amphitheatre. NVA brought JULIUS CAESAR to Moonlight's Avo Playhouse in August of 2007 and it has been a goal of the companies to work together again at the beautiful Moonlight Amphitheatre. This second production of AS YOU LIKE IT honors the 10 year anniversary of New Village Arts and the 30 year anniversary of Moonlight Stage Productions.

Director Liz Shipman was Co-Founder/Artistic Director for the Kings County Shakespeare Company (KCSC) in New York City from 1983-2001. Liz has directed and/or choreographed productions for KCSC (over 50 productions), New Avenue Theatre Project, Utah Shakespearean Festival, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The Old Globe Theatre, The Playwrights Project and lots of little loft-type theatres throughout NYC. She has directed, choreographed and taught movement and acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Technique for the Whole Actor Studio, T. Schreiber Studio, Manhattan Marymount College, The Atlantic Theatre Company, Webster Conservatory of Theatre Arts, USD's Undergraduate Theatre Arts Department, and The Old Globe/USD Graduate Acting Department where she serves as a member of the core faculty. Favorite projects include Genet/Hamlet, Winter's Tale, Rough Crossing, Love's Labour's Lost, Midsommer Night's Dreame, Taming of the Shrew and Aphra Behn's The Rover, Blood Wedding, On The Verge, Lysistrata, O Jerusalem, Fifth of July, The Water Engine, An Experiment With An Air Pump and The Creation Project.

The multi-cultural cast includes Karson St. John as Rosalind, Justin Lang as Orlando and Grandison M. Phelps III as both Duke Frederick and Duke Senior. Karson St. John is considered one of San Diego's most talented actresses, winning both the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle Award and Patte Award for Best Lead Performance for her work in Diversionary Theatre's THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED in 2009. She brings an impressive resume and experience as a dancer and singer to her work as Rosalind. Justin Lang recently received rave reviews for his performance in Moxie Theatre's EURYDICE and Grandison M. Phelps III has received honors for his work in the Cygnet Theatre Company productions of THE PIANO LESSON and FENCES. The cast of 17 also includes Brian Abraham as Jaques, Eddie Yaroch as Touchstone, Summer Spiro as Celia and Michael Ahmad, Calandra Crane, Richard Johnson, Pat Larmer, David Macy-Beckwith, Ron Marchand, Kyle Nitchy, Daniel Novoa, Eli Taupau, Dan Windham and Samuel Zetumer.

Bringing the world of 1969 New Orleans to life for AS YOU LIKE IT will be Set Designer Darin Hibi, Costume Designers Roz Lehmann and Renetta Lloyd, Light Designer Chris Werner and Sound Designer Chris Luessman. Stage Management by Derek Livingston.

In keeping with New Village Arts' seven-year tradition of offering free Shakespeare in the Park and a commitment to community outreach, thousands of free tickets will be donated to students in and throughout San Diego County. New Village Arts, with generous support from the Moonlight Cultural Foundation and our sponsors, has made the Education and Outreach program: "Shakespeare at School and On Stage" possible. The program will consist of a pre-show visit at participating schools with two lead actors from AS YOU LIKE IT and NVA's education intern, Ramona Brooks. Ramona is a UCSD Theatre student who has worked with NVA for a little over a year. In her words: "Seeing a professionally mounted Shakespeare production, especially if you've never seen a play or never seen one at a professional playhouse, can be a magical experience for a student (I speak from personal knowledge), but most young people just can't afford it. When you offer free tickets and supply supplemental enriching information about the production and about playmaking, seeing a play becomes an accessible, enjoyable, and fascinating event, which is exactly what we want to provide to the young people of our community."

New Village Arts and Moonlight Cultural Foundation will be providing free tickets and the pre-show visit at no cost to participating schools, give free tickets to students at schools who do not get a pre-show visit, and will offer an education packet available on our website for instructors and students to access. Making great theatre available and accessible to everyone in our community is and has been one of our priorities since the inception of New Village Arts and the Moonlight Cultural Foundation shares that passion. It is in that spirit that we will also be providing free tickets to active duty military and their families.

Ticket prices range from $10 - $20 for all performances. All performances start at 7:30 PM, October 6-10 at Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista, CA 92084, in Brengle Terrace Park. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.vistixonline.com or calling 760-724-2110.

AS YOU LIKE IT
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Liz Shipman
Co-produced with MOONLIGHT CULTURAL FOUNDATION

CAST
Rosalind: Karson St. John
Orlando: Justin Lang
Dukes Frederick and Senior: Grandison M. Phelps, III
Jaques: Brian Abraham
Celia: Summer Spiro
Touchstone: Eddie Yaroch
Oliver: Richard Johnson
Phebe: Calandra Crane
Silvius: Samuel Zetumer
Corin: David Macy-Beckwith
Le Beau/Amiens/Audrey: Michael Ahmad
Charles/William: Dan Windham
Adam/Martext: Pat Larmer
Lords and Musicians: Ron Marchand, Kyle Nitchy, Daniel Novoa & Eli Taupau
Set Design by Darin Hibi; Costume Design by Roz Lehmann and Renetta Lloyd; Light Design by Chris Werner; Properties Design by Resident Designer Bonnie Durben*; Sound Design by Chris Leussman; Stage Managed by Derek Livingston; Fight Direction by David Macy-Beckwith; Original Music by Summer Spiro; Co-produced by Frances Regal.

Opening Night Wednesday, October 6 at 7:30 PM, run continues October 7, 8, 9 & 10 at 7:30 PM
Tickets: $20 Orchestra/$15 Reserved Lawn/$10 Lawn
Performances at MOONLIGHT AMPHITHEATRE
Purchase Tickets: www.vistixonline.com; 760-724-2110.

Photo Credit: Daren Scott