As You Like It Press Reviews
Vermont Stage delivers raucous humor in Shakespeare
- Reviewed by Jim Lowe
- Reviewed for Rutland Herald
- Reviewed on April 19th, 2012
BURLINGTON - "As You Like It" is easily one of William Shakespeare's funniest comedies, and Vermont Stage's clever adaptation strips it to its rawest and richest humor - but it's also quite touching.
The tale is a fun one. The evil Duke Frederick banishes his older brother, Duke Senior, and his entourage to the Forest of Arden, usurping his position and holdings. That soon includes Duke Senior's daughter Rosalind, who is joined by Frederick's daughter Rosalind and the court jester Touchstone.
But, before taking off to Arden, Rosalind meets the young hunk Orlando and the two are struck with love at first sight.
But, Rosalind must be off to Arden, so she disguises herself as a man for safety. But it is also the perfect opportunity to test Orlando's - and, of course, that leads to all sorts of other problems.
Vermont Stage Company, the Flynn Center's resident professional company, has created a production that, at Thursday's performance at FlynnSpace, proved to be a sheer delight.
Adapted and directed by Jason Jacobs, the production was not only stripped to a bare stage with minimal trappings, with comic costumes from a nebulous era, seven actors played all 16 roles. In short, it took direction from the play's most famous lines:
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts ..."
MJ Brackin delivered a witty comic performance as Rosalind, and proved ridiculously funny as Ganymede, barely able to hold it together when around Orlando. Accentuating the comedy, Catherine Domareki was Rosalind's foil and Ganeymede's straight-man. Jordan Gullikson rounded out this perfect trio with a charming and witty, and totally off-color Touchstone.
Patrick Clow did double duty differentiating both dukes, but was side-splittingly funny as the object of Touchstone's affections, the bawdy peasant girl Audrey. Lowell Byers was well-cast but a bit overwrought as the somewhat witless but always earnest Orlando.
Chris Caswell delivered unusual dimension as the melancholy commentator Jacques. And Orion Lay-Sleeper proved quite versatile from the flashy pro wrestler to the smitten shepherd.
Vermont Stage's "As You Like It" might make some purists unhappy, but it delivers the essence of the Shakespeare in a style that would be familiar to the Bard - and it was hilariously funny.
Vermont Stage has announced its 2012-2013 season, its second under Producing Artistic Director Cristina Alicea: Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's quirky existential comedy "Boom" (Oct. 3-21); the "Winter Tales" holiday variety show (Dec. 5-9); Donald Margulies' Iraq War drama, "Time Stands Still" (Jan. 30-Feb. 17); a special play that can't yet be announced (March 13-31); and David Lindsay-Abaire's bittersweet drama "Good People" (April 24-May 12).