Oregon Shakespeare Festival

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

"As You Like It" at the Angus Bowmer: This is my favorite Shakespeare comedy--with its themes of romantic passions causing all and sundry to go goofy (with help from a gender-bending lead character, Rosalind, played to the hilt by the vivacious Miriam A. Laube) , who, disquised as a young man, teaches the man she loves, Orlando (Danforth Comins), to woo her when she's not playing a guy. Shakespeare must have liked women alot--okat maybe not the "Dark Lady" after a time--because she is really the most enpowered character in the play.

Of course, another woman falls in love with her when she's dressed a guy. And she has to have a suitable groom found for her. And so does a shepherd lady. There were four weddings at the end of this and everybody got to dance before Rosalind delivered the epilouge, which was a stage device used to drum up appaulse. I think Shakespeare hardly needed it in this case. It was "As You Like It" indeed, unless you're in the mood for one of them "high kicking" tragedies like "Lear" with a big "wow finish".

Forgiveness and being happy in your place and time is another strong note in Shakespeare's story. Of particular note in the production is the actor who plays the meloncholy and world-weary Jaques (Robert Sicular). He gets to deliver the famed "Seven Ages of Man" speech and deliver it he does with all the nuances and power of the Bard's prose I've ever seen. Jaques is the only character who doesn't come away happier from the play's plot--he is there I think for the playwright to show that even in a comedy not everyone is gong to come away happy. It's a touch of realistic drama to the proceedings.
I was very impressed by the production and the other top-notch performances. The plot about the exiled Duke and his retinue in the Forest of Arden is updated to the Great Depression Era in America and several contemporary songs are incorporated in the production. The acting talent on display is top-notch. The Bowmer Theater itself is a great place to see a play and there are no bad seats in the house. The matinee shows feature an after-play discussion of the production with two or three of the actors commenting on the parts they play and taking questions from the patrons.

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