Baker Shake's 40th production continues tradition of quality

By Christi Vasquez     3/18/10 7:00pm

Baker Shakespeare's production of As You Like It opens with a bombastic fight sequence, and it only gains momentum from there, culminating in a comical, yet touching, wedding ceremony in which everybody ends up with his or her true love.The 40th production of the Baker Shakespeare company, As You Like It completely engages audiences with the movement of the play. Enchanting and delightful, the play genuinely enraptures the audience with the cast's intense energy and talent, transporting mind and body into the Forest of Arden.

Penned in 1599, Shakespeare's As You Like It follows Rosalind, a young girl who flees her uncle Duke Frederick's regime when he usurps the throne from her father, Duke Senior. Rosalind, her cousin Celia and the court jester Touchstone journey into the Forest of Arden to search for Rosalind's banished father, with Rosalind disguising herself as a man named Ganymede and Celia changing her name to Aliena.

Orlando, the son of Sir Rowland de Boys, a friend to Rosalind's father, tries to prove his aptitude in a wrestling match held for Duke Frederick. However, he is threatened with arrest upon winning the match and is also forced to seek refuge in the forest, though not before meeting Rosalind and falling in love with her. Thus Shakespeare's most unique form of love ensues between the two.

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As mentioned before, the play opens with an extremely well-choreographed fight sequence between Orlando (Will Rice College freshman Josh Tilles) and his eldest brother, Oliver (Baker College junior Tomas Lafferierre). Tilles, starring in his first college theater production, brings an addictive energy to the character of Orlando. Whether wrestling for his honor or hanging sappy love poems on trees, Tilles' Orlando is endearing to the audience, the very picture of a lovestruck young man.

The portrayal of the object of his affection, Rosalind (Baker senior Linda Permenter), provides not only energy, but humor and intelligence to her role, allowing the character more depth and rendering her more relatable. On stage, Tilles and Permenter's characters have legitimate, if complex, chemistry, as Shakespearean lovers should. This is most notable when Rosalind, as Ganymede, convinces Orlando to unknowingly woo her, leaving the audience grinning at their witty banter and interactions.

The supporting cast members also provide extremely professional performances. In some cases, a supporting actor's performance was so strong it commanded attention from the main characters. Baker junior Jeremiah Bolinsky is cast as Touchstone the clown. Bolinsky's performance is thunderously - though not obnoxiously - comic, especially as Touchstone's love for a country girl, Audrey, unfolds. The cast members' solid performances immerse the audience in the fictional Forest of Arden.

Director J. Cameron Cooper (Brown '02) ran into an unavoidable complication this year: With Baker's commons still under construction, Baker Shake must be held in the Duncan College Commons. Because this space drastically differs from Baker Shake's conventional staging, Cooper decided to present the play as theater-in-the-round. This format would not have worked in the Baker Commons, but it works well with Duncan's space. This format allows for a more intimate, lively performance, with actors continuously navigating the entire stage. The play is clearly visible from all angles, and this adds an interesting feeling of movement to the performance. While Cooper said it took some time for the actors to get used to playing all sides instead of just the standard two or three, the cast is quite adept at using the whole space.

Cooper and his team encountered multiple lighting issues, such as blown spotlights, and problems with the audio/visual system that occurred during rehearsals on more than one occasion. The windows, which surround the commons on three sides, also presented problems - anyone who has attended a Wiess Tabletop production can attest to windows' potential for distraction - but this was more or less resolved by painting them with trees and foliage, the only backdrop of the play.

But fret not, casual Shakespeare readers. Familiarity with the play is by no means vital to the overall experience. Baker Shake's production of As You Like It is classic Shakespeare at its finest, easily combining talent and technique. Whether you are grinning, laughing, or sighing at Orlando's charm, the play will truly be "as you like it," and so much more.

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