SDA’s ‘As You Like It’ dazzles crowd

Walking into the Bing Theater to see the School of Dramatic Arts’ production of “As You Like It,” an audience member would assume they are in for a normal Shakespeare-in-the-park-esque performance, with a traditional stage setting of forest greenery. But from the first movement onstage, a leisurely stroll from the company followed by them greeting each other as themselves rather than as their characters, lets the audience know that they are in for no ordinary Shakespearean production. 

Director Kate Burton sought to update the classic play for the present era through the inclusion of contemporary technical aspects and more modern performances from the actors. 

Before the show began, the head of SDA’s MFA program, David Warshofsky dedicated the show’s run to Andrei Belgrader, the previous director of the MFA program who passed away on Tuesday. Belgrader was an integral member of the University community for the last 14 years after joining the program in 2008. In a touching moment, Warshofsky reflected on the importance of Belgrader’s presence on the SDA program and his impact on many young actors’ lives.

After the announcement, the actors congregated on stage to introduce themselves with the house lights still up, creating a sense of familiarity between the actors and the audience. Upbeat music began playing and the house lights came down, marking the true start of the play. Although fun, this moment had little to do with the show’s general plot and set the tone for a confusing amalgamation of styles. 

The play follows the characters of Rosalind (second-year MFA candidate Emily Arancio) and Orlando (second-year MFA candidate Alex Prout) as they navigate their love through exile. Rosalind and Orlando fall in love after Rosalind watches him in a wrestling match. However, before they can foster their love, Rosalind is banished from the duchy by Duke Frederick, which the production changed to Duchess Fredericka (Lindsey Esch, an MFA candidate) to fit their version of modern Shakespeare.

Rosalind and her cousin Celia (Summer Young) decide to flee to the forest of Arden and Rosalind disguises herself as a man to avoid detection. Orlando finds himself also in the forest of Arden and runs into Rosalind disguised as a man. Rosalind, being in love with Orlando but wanting to protect him, decides Orlando must get over her. Still pretending to be a man, she dresses up as herself and acts unlovable to him. The audience follows their long, intricate and slightly confusing love story while encountering many colorful characters who bring unique personalities to the stage.

Although all of the acting performances stood strongly on their own, a shining bright spot during the play was the relationship between Rosalind and Celia. 

Shakespeare can be hard for modern audiences to understand, but both actresses made the often inaccessible Shakespearean language their own, manipulating their inflections and movements to ensure the audience understood every joke, phrase and moment of sincerity. It made the story significantly more accessible to audience members who might not be as well-versed in the works of Shakespeare. 

Jacques, (MFA candidate Levonté Herbert) expertly performed a rendition of the famous “All the World’s a Stage” monologue. Herbert enchanted the audience speaking the Bard’s words, and it felt as if time stopped. His command of the language and movement kept the audience hooked onto his every word. 

Although the acting was strong, a confusing and at times distracting element of the production was the choice in music. The production’s soundtrack ranged from ’90s hip-hop to modern-day pop, including artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Megan Thee Stallion and Britney Spears. 

When the music played during scenes, it was difficult for the audience to focus because a much more familiar song was playing, causing the viewers’ minds to follow along with the melody, rather than the scenes. Although the songs were enjoyable to see in a modern production, they felt out of place at times. 

The technical elements of the performance highlighted SDA’s creativity but seemed to lack cohesion across the production. With costuming from the 1910s and medieval eras, a set from a traditional production of Shakespeare and music ranging from the ’90s up to modern-day pop, the discord among these facets served as a distraction rather than a commentary on the timeless nature of Shakespeare’s work. However, each element individually, even if it was confusing, was masterfully created. The costuming clearly revealed each character’s place in society, and the set’s purposeful simplicity gave the actors a space to create excellent work. 

Despite some technical elements creating confusion, the actor’s performances shined throughout the production. They brought the Bard’s words to life in a manner that was not only accessible to modern audiences but brought a fun universal message of love. 

“As You Like It” ran at the Bing Theater from Feb. 24 to 27. 

Rating: 3/5

Correction: A previous version of this article included a photo from a production in 2015, and it was mislabeled as being from the current show. The Daily Trojan regrets this error.