Review - As You Like It

I love As You Like It.  I’ve worked on so many productions of it, and seen many more.  Each production was so worthwhile.  I can remember aspects of each and every one.  Well, maybe not EVERY one.  I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday.  Um…wait, what did I have for lunch yesterday??

Anyway, I was very fortunate to win tickets last night through the Public Theater’s virtual ticket lottery for the Shakespeare in the Park production of As You Like It.  It’s Shakespeare in the Park’s 50th anniversary season, so they’re going all out with a very well-cast As You Like It, and later in the summer, Into the Woods.  I don’t imagine I’ll be winning any tickets for that, but I’ll be trying.  As for As You Like It, you should really try to see it.  It’s pretty grand.  With a few caveats, of course.  J

I think Daniel Sullivan has directed with a fine hand.  The story is told crisply and well, with clear diction and a company who knows what they’re saying (that’s more rare than you might imagine).  The show moves forward very well, with really good transitions from the court to the forest and back, though the middle sections of the second act are a bit of a slog.  They generally are, and the play seemed to stall a bit last night, too.  The set is terrific and Sullivan has ingeniously staged a lot of the action in the Forest of Arden actually IN the forest, or, rather, up in the trees!  Hats off to set designer John Lee Beatty for ingeniously putting platforms in the trees that are completely hidden.  Each time an actor appeared in a tree, I was freshly amazed.   All of the designers did a terrific job.  I’ll get to my favorite a little later.

I guess I’m not on the Lily Rabe bandwagon.  I know most people adore her, though, so possibly it's just me.  Her Rosalind, while certainly intelligently and thoughtfully acted, didn’t completely work for me.  She’s smart and sarcastic, and delivers a laugh line well, yet I didn’t see the romantic dreamer in her.  The romantic that would fall in love with Orlando at first sight.  Rosalind is many things, not only a smart girl.  I mean, if we don’t see that girly love, then the male disguise misses its complete usefulness.  Maybe her performance is still evolving, but she could seriously work on getting her voice out of her nose (this was also an issue for me when she was in Seminar – perhaps it’s just something she brings to the table, though I don’t remember it being quite so strident in Heartbreak House) and I’m hoping her posture will improve.  I just don’t get these girls and their bad posture.  If it had been a character choice for when she’s disguised as a boy, I would’ve been ok with it, but, no, this gal just slouches her way through life.  If it's a way to make character seem contemporary, uh, no.  And she stood upright enough for me to assume that she doesn't slouch naturally.  But, ok, having complained about her, I will say that she carried the role with aplomb, told the story well and tackled the role with verve. 

I thought David Furr as Orlando was fantastic.  I was telling my handsome date before the show that As You Like It sort of hinges on Orlando for me.  It’s such a tough role and when there’s a bad Orlando, I just don’t care about the rest of the show.  But this guy was terrific.  He spoke beautifully (he even had a couple of line readings that I had never heard done in just that way before, which illuminated some of the script in new ways – hoorah!), was charmingly lovestruck and also had much dignity and wit.  He was terrific and I look forward to seeing what he does next.

Stephen Spinella, who in my opinion is an American theater treasure, is a lovely Jaques, melancholy yet engaged in the world, cynical yet still a little bit romantic (though he tries to fight it).  I loved his take on things.  Oliver Platt, although he had a tiny bit of a problem in his last speech, was a grand Touchstone.  Much different than other Touchstones I’ve seen -  more cerebral, almost, but not, hello, he’s Touchstone.  I don’t know how to describe him, I just really liked him.  I liked Renee Elise Goldsberry as Celia and Omar Metwally as Oliver, thought Donna Lynn Champlin was fun as Audrey, enjoyed Will Rogers as Silvius, but thought the gal playing Phebe didn’t quite know what she was doing.  She spoke well, though, so maybe it will come.  I thought Robert Joy as Le Beau was oddly touching and Andre Braugher as the two dukes was quite fine.  Oh, and I really liked Jesse Lenat as Amiens.  His singing was great.

And my favorite designer?  Steve Martin!  He did the bluegrass-tinged score and it was fantastic.  I’ve read a rumor online that the score is going to be recorded – I hope that’s true.  I LOVE bluegrass and this was first-rate.  The ‘band’ was really good, and using the Shakespearean text in this music was a lot of fun.  Orlando singing one of his letters to Rosalind, while trying to accompany himself on the mandolin, was really cute.  I just liked it and hope Steve Martin decides to write a whole musical someday.  Seriously, is there anything Steve Martin can’t do?

It probably seems like I complained, but I really did have a great time at the show.  I just love the play, and I guess I quibble more about it because I love it so much.  You should definitely try to get out to the Delacorte to see it.  Plus, I had a handsome date and ran into some beautiful friends at the theater.  We had delicious snacks afterward at Monaco (see the picture of my delicious Israeli Salad?  I have some leftovers for lunch today!), so it was a great evening all around.  Just the kind of New York night that makes you happy to be in New York in the summer.