A Singer’s Notes by Keith Kibler 35: As You Like It at Shakespeare & Co.


As You Like It, Shakespeare & Co 2011. Photo © 2011 Kevin Sprague.

As You Like It

by William Shakespeare
Directed by Artistic Director Tony Simotes

As You Like It is a play for virtuosos. Rosalind, Touchstone, Jacques, and Celia must be magnificent talkers. They have to command the idiom.  It must seem their natural speech. The players in Shakespeare and Company's well-directed As You Like It went a good way toward doing this. Excess IS meaning in this kind of writing. (Even the poor shepherd Silvius has a long allusive speech near the end of the play). Merritt Janson's Rosalind was in most things led by Kelley Curran's Celia. She was the most listening Rosalind I have heard. Capable of flashing brilliance when necessary, she often chose to measure out her speeches abruptly, even with some uncertainty. This endeared her to me. The bright Ms. Curran had an excellent vitality in her words. She seemed a natural leader and companion. These two actresses made performances which were almost a composite role. Often one could not tell where one left off and the other began. I'm sure this harmony will become even more subtle and dulcet as the run continues.

Read the full review on the Berkshire Review, an International journal for the Arts!







(download)