A special production of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It is currently playing at the Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre. The play, re-imagined by the Cal Poly Theatre and Dance Department, opened this past Thursday to wonderful praises. It’s certainly not something to be missed by anyone with an appreciation for theatre and the fine arts.
Josh Machamer, the director of the production and a theatre professor at Cal Poly, is known for selecting little-known plays that re-envision the ways audiences experience live theatre. His decision to put a unique spin on the traditional William Shakespeare play is rather extraordinary.
“Shakespeare’s beloved comedy showcases the madness of love, the celebration of wooing and the unexpected freedom found within Arden’s trees,” Machamer said.
Aside from occasional onstage singing, no music or sound effects of any kind are played throughout the performance. The set is also rather simple with a few key symbols so that the audience focuses on the story rather than spectacle, Machamer said.
As You Like It stars Cal Poly students Katharine Epstein and Devin O’Brien as Rosalind and Orlando, who fall in love at first sight at a wrestling match and eventually encounter one another under strange circumstances in a magical forest. This Shakespearean comedy is not your classic love story, as Rosalind is an extremely clever and independent-minded heroine who is not afraid to speak her mind.
Penned in what is believed to be 1599, the play is best known for the monologue that begins “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” British student Mike McCullough, who plays melancholic Lord Jaques, will be delivering this renowned monologue. Many have already said it was a joy to watch his brilliant performance.
As You Like It is also the origin of the saying “Why then, can one desire too much of a good thing?”
You can still catch a performance — Alex and Faye Spanos Theatre will host the play on March 8 at 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door, and are $20 for the general public and $12 for students, seniors and children. You can also order by phone by calling SLO-4TIX (805-756-4849).
Be sure to like the Cal Poly Theatre and Dance Department’s Facebook Page to see photographs from the show and to stay updated on future productions.