A modern makeover for Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’
March 10, 2015
To appeal to a college audience the play’s director, Adam Houghton, professor of theater at CSB and SJU, worked with his team to costume the cast with modern clothing like flannel shirts and jeans.
Pictured above: (From left) Terri Schafer who plays Rosalind and Obiora Obikwelu who is Orlando in the play.
William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” is getting a modern makeover for its two-week run starting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, at the Gorecki Family Theater, Benedicta Arts Center, College of Saint Benedict.
Produced by the CSB and SJU Theater Department, the play will continue at 7:30 p.m. March 20-21; 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22; and 7:30 p.m. March 26-28.
The play revolves around Rosalind, who runs away to hide in the forest after her uncle, Duke Frederick, overthrows her father, Duke Senior. Disguised as a man, Rosalind travels with her cousin Celia and eventually runs into Orlando, a gentleman from the kingdom whom Rosalind is in love with. The play follows the love story and conflict between forest-life and city-living.
To appeal to a college audience the play’s director, Adam Houghton, professor of theater at CSB and SJU, worked with his team to costume the cast with modern clothing like flannel shirts and jeans.
“I think the costuming will keep the play relatable and make it easier to understand what we’re trying to do,” Houghton said.
Houghton decided against modernizing the language but left out portions that have lost meaning over the years.
“Some parts of the original won’t make sense to most students because of how words have developed,” Houghton said. “But I felt like I needed to keep the language the same because that’s part of what makes Shakespeare so great; the poetic nature of his plays and this one in particular, are just astounding.”
The cast is led by CSB senior Teri Schafer (Rosalind), a double-major in English and theater; and SJU first-year Obiora Obikwelu (Orlando), a double-major in communication and theater.
“As You Like It,” written in 1600, is probably best known for one of Shakespeare’s most often recited speech, “All the world’s a stage.” In the past, Rosalind has been played by Vanessa Redgrave, Juliet Stevenson and Patti LuPone. Laurence Olivier played the role of Orlando in the 1936 film rendition, while Alan Rickman, Stephen Spinella and Kevin Kline have all played the role of Jaques, the lord who recites “All the world’s a stage.”
Tickets for “As You Like It” are $10 for adults and $7 for students, faculty, staff, children and seniors. They are available by calling 320-363-5777; in person at the box office at the BAC; or online.