I've always had a soft spot for theatre. Whether it's the fond memories of being in my church's Christmas plays as a kid, seeing the talent of the actors on display in person, or the emotional connection the performance establishes with the audience in a way that cinema simply cannot recreate, I've always felt a special appreciation for the stage. And this past Saturday evening, I found myself rediscovering the joy of the theatre when I attended the University of South Alabama Department of Theatre's production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It".
One of Shakespeare's lesser-known works, "As You Like It" is a crowd-pleasing comedy at heart; it tells the story of a pair of star-crossed lovers, Orlando and Rosalind, who each separately flee their homes to escape persecution and seek refuge in the Forest of Arden, where they proceed to join up with an exiled Duke and his merry band of followers who have taken up residence there. From there, the comedy takes shape in earnest as intrigue, plots of revenge, and the fickleness of the heart play havoc with the characters' attempts to find true love. Along the way, the cast delivers some of Shakespeare's most popular lines ("All the world's a stage" and "Too much of a good thing", among others) whilst musing on the merits of love, reconciliation, and the simple pastoral life.
"As You Like It" is light-hearted and fairly fast-paced; so fast, in fact, that early on I was worried that I may have trouble keeping up with the plot. However, these fears were soon alleviated as I slowly adapted to the Shakespearean dialogue and began recognizing characters and scenes from the plot summary I had read the night before (I know that's cheating, but I'm new at this!). Once I got settled, I was quickly immersed in the production; the trademark Shakespeare humor was riveting and the cast pulled it off wonderfully with only the occasional slip up (hey, 17th century English is tough!). Brianna Bond's and Zachary Fitzgibbon's lead-role performances were excellent; both Bond's witty, calculating Rosalind and Fitzgibbon's youthful, lovesick Orlando captured the audience's emotional investment and held it throughout the production.
That said, my personal favorite performance of the night was Abigail St. John as Celia (Rosalind's cousin and best friend à la Mercutio in "Romeo and Juliet"). St. John's performance exuded an energy that went unmatched on the stage and she very quickly established herself as an audience favorite (despite her relatively small role). And hey, to be completely honest, I find it to be a pleasant surprise when a member of the supporting cast can steal a bit of the spotlight (Will Ballard's Jacques and Blake Waters' Touchstone were each good as well).
All-in-all, I thought that this was a great production. The performances of the actors, the charm of the script, and the intimate atmosphere fostered by the compact theatre in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center all combined to make my first visit to the theatre in well over a year particularly satisfying. The University of South Alabama's Department of Theatre has certainly demonstrated its quality, and this group of students is top-notch as well. I'm definitely looking forward to becoming a regular patron; after all, each ticket sold is not only a pass to an enjoyable evening, but also supports the artistic endeavors and educational initiatives of a local institution. Having a good time for a good cause? That's how I like it.
