‘As You Like It’ begs the question ‘who likes what?’
The ‘As You Like It’ musical adaptation doesn’t know what it wants to be.
1.5
By HENRY KOFMAN
Audience members may say “oh, dear” exiting the Bing Theatre after the School of Dramatic Arts’ “As You Like It,” and it would not be in reference to one of the best elements in the show — the James Ortiz-esque deer puppets that make brief appearances — but rather the show as a whole.
Shakespeare’s work has been performed time and time again across the world, from the iconic Shakespeare’s Globe to past stellar productions at SDA. For every time it is done magically, there is also a time it falls flat.
This production finds itself with its face on the ground, not dissimilar to Charles in his face off against Orlando as pictured in the play’s wrestling scene.
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“As You Like It” is one of Shakespeare’s most iconic plays and contains some of his favorite narrative tools. The show has all the elements to be the ultimate Shakespeare comedy in its original state, but this production added a musical twist. The creation of this adaptation came to be through recent Tony winner for “Suffs,” Shaina Taub. She was commissioned by The Public Theater for the kickoff of their 2017-18 season. Taub had previously adapted Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” also for The Public.
The musical rendition attempts to put together the 1599 classic with the modern world of musical theater, but in its efforts to do so, it ultimately loses the best aspects of both. It feels as if the original is used as a rough, brittle skeleton for the adaptation that attempts to build the flesh out of fairly generic musical theater songs. While many of the show’s numbers are easily forgettable, songs like “Under the Greenwood Tree” and “Will U Be My Bride” breathe life into the show.
This adaptation has been performed around the world to mixed reviews but took center stage at Bing Theatre Nov. 1 under the direction of Anita Dashiell-Sparks and musical direction of Marty Lamar.
Typically, “As You Like It” tends to last 90 minutes with no intermission. But that is where the first fault in this rendition arises — it boasts an approximately 120-minute runtime yet still no intermission.
One of the largest pitfalls comes in story cuts. There is a lack of stakes for most of the show. Smaller conflicts that arise tend to be resolved by the end of the scene, and even one of the greatest conflicts in the story — Duke Frederick’s pursuit of Rosalind and Orlando — are scattered in rare appearances.
At the fulcrum of the story — where stakes should be highest — you still might miss the resolution if you so much as blink. Had the story been more condensed to its original 90-minute runtime, the lack of stakes might have been less apparent.
The two hours that audiences spend seated in Bing Theatre will not necessarily be boring. There are enjoyable numbers that occasionally embrace the show’s silliness, such as the aforementioned “Will U Be My Bride,” which has Diego Whitehill (Orlando) rocking out in true boyband fashion with his four backup dancers. Entertainment is not where the show fails, and the joy of musical theater still shines through many of the songs.
The “fun” is not the issue, rather the fact that the show doesn’t understand what it is. The strange blend of Early Modern English and modern musical theater lyrics can be jarring, leaving the audience unsure of where it lives.
This continues to fall apart in the set and production design. When arriving, the audience is welcomed with an incredibly minimal set, a band of six musicians atop a series of steps and a fairly blank space, similar to another recent show about exploring the forest, the 2022 Broadway revival of “Into the Woods.” Unlike the Stephen Sondheim triumph, this production seems unsure of if it wants to stick with the minimal set.
Bing Theatre filled with joy and energy when the actors performed the musical numbers, but the musical’s issue lied in its lack of identity. (Craig Schwartz / USC School of Dramatic Arts)
Set pieces such as a chandelier fly in are discontinuous with the rest of the minimal set. While it is mostly in error, set continuity is kept expertly when arriving in The Forest of Arden during “Under the Greenwood Tree.” Silks, trees and the ensemble fill the stage to let the audience believe, if only for a moment, they have found the escape from city life in this forest community for a glance at the show’s own self-discovery.
The underappreciated art of the set change does not shine in this production. Nowadays, blackouts and stagehands are used less commonly to change sets, oftentimes for the best, as they allow the audience to stay in the story. The alternative of having characters move around the set in “As You Like It” is detrimental to the storytelling.
At times, characters unlock and move set pieces while speaking, occasionally doing it fully lit while other characters are speaking or singing, confusing the audience and drawing attention away from the story.
Taking to the stage at USC’s largest theater means you must utilize the large space to your advantage, but the space was extremely underutilized and the stage felt lacking and empty constantly. The lighting design also emphasized this fault, ceaselessly bathing every inch of the stage in light save for a few moments that feel much fuller than the rest when they spot specific characters.
The costumes lack self-identity, with a confusing compilation of old suits, caveman wear and modern-day summer dresses. It is a great contrast, but when everything is in contrast, and there is no assimilation, things get lost.
There are highlights in performance from students, and the child actors cannot help but receive a slew of “aw”s from the audience. This production is a unique collaboration, bringing in community members from Amazing Grace Conservatory, TeAda Theater Company, 24th Street Theatre and Marshall Dance Company to build a cast of 46.
The size of the cast would’ve allowed to fill the emptiness onstage had it been more utilized. In moments like “Under the Greenwood Tree,” that cast of 46 is shown off to its fullest when the show is at its most enjoyable.
While there is much to say about the ways the show falls short, it still has its moments and has a good time. Had the show found more of a style and sense of self, for instance, leaning into the excellent Ortiz puppetry inspiration or utilizing the cast to a larger extent, a more rounded theatrical experience would have presented itself. Those small moments of excellence leave you wishing it was more.
In a show about identity and changing who you are while finding who you love, this production could have taken notes from its source material and discovered what it wanted to be and what it wanted to bring to the table.
“As You Like It” runs at the Bing Theatre through Nov. 9.
