Melisa Pereyra, Alys Dickerson and Marcus Truschinski in an American Players Theatre Zoom reading of Shakespeare's "As You Like It."
I have a very pleasant memory of seeing Shakespeare’s As You Like It at American Players Theatre in 2018. On a hot night in June at the beginning of the season, I vividly remember Melisa Pereyra’s calculating grin as she played the smitten maiden Rosalind, dressed in a newsboy’s cap and trousers after being banished from court by her usurping uncle (a stern Brian Mani). Escaping to the Forest of Arden in disguise, she could not hide her growing love for the also recently evicted Orlando, or her delight in manipulating him to “practice” his wooing on her alter ego, Ganymede. Pereyra’s Rosalind also reveled in every love note tacked to a tree (and there were many!) written by the prolific and equally infatuated young man, a wronged younger brother searching for justice and the woman who stole his heart.
Although the Hill Theatre is dark this summer, APT’s “Out of the Woods” season revisits the classic Shakespeare comedy, in collaboration with Wisconsin Public Television: a free Zoom reading of the play is available on demand through July 26 on the PBS Wisconsin website.
Obviously the virtual experience can never replicate the feeling of being in the theater “where it happened,” but,
A. There are no bugs in your temperature-controlled living room;
B. A sudden summer rainstorm will never interrupt the show; and
C. The video version is packed with your favorite actors. It gives several cast members the opportunity to reprise their former roles, and fills in the rest with members of the beloved APT core company.
Finally, as unpredictable and wonky as this new medium can be, the video version affords some delightful surprises. Under the creative direction of John Langs, a Seattle-based artist with a dozen other APT credits on his resume, the spotlight is once again on the words and the relationships rather than the typical aesthetics of a fully produced show. In the talkback, he refers to this production (and this edited version) as “condensed and efficient,” focusing on the “concentric circles of love” in the piece. But it also concentrates on finding new ways to tell a familiar story, by embracing the new medium instead of fighting it.
As You Like It succeeds first and foremost because Melisa Pereyra is back in the role of Rosalind/Ganymede — a part that she embodies effortlessly. Although she has played many other roles in between her As You Like It gigs, Pereyra slips into the role as easily as donning the character’s signature cap. So giddy she is barely able to maintain Rosalind’s cover, she turns chaos into a delightful scheme that benefits all.
Nate Burger steps in as the equally heart-sick Orlando — a distinct promotion from his former role as the hero’s sour older brother. His earnest blue eyes fixed on us as he describes his longing for Rosalind, Burger’s character bounces between charming vulnerability and painful honesty to gentle amusement and then desperation. To express his growing obsession with Rosalind, he writes lines of love on Post-it notes, that Burger affixes to every flat surface in his kitchen (of course). The colorful squares then show up on many other background walls that fill in for the idealized forest.
And instead of merely one duke, Brian Mani plays both the just and the unjust rulers, like two sides of the same coin. As the banished ruler enjoying his woodsy exile, he is incredibly charming and welcoming, even when threatened by Orlando and nearby kitchen utensils.
Kelsey Brennan gets her shrew on once again, reprising her role as Audrey, a country girl who truly falls for someone she can’t have, while spurning a love that is far too easy. Hair tossing, protesting, chiding and railing, she is a strong woman who has to settle for a match who adores but does not excite her.
Notably, when Tracy Michelle Arnold played the dark and gloomy Jacques in the 2018 production, she breathed new life into the melancholy philosopher. In this version, Arnold is back as the world-weary woman who cannot allow herself even the pleasure of dancing at the multiple weddings that end the piece. Arnold’s uniquely feminine sadness imbues the “stages of man” speech with new resonance and provides an elegant counterpoint to the silliness that takes over so many young people frolicking in the woods.
In addition to the captivating performances by actors in the main roles, part of the delight of As You Like It, and the entire “Out of the Woods” series, is seeing APT favorites in roles they would be unlikely to play during a normal season. Always impressive leading man Gavin Lawrence is a revelation as a timid, hen-pecked shepherd whose love is unrequited. Jim DeVita is formidable as the giant wrestler who takes challenges from all comers. In a role with very few lines, Colleen Madden is enchanting as the lusty country maid, who beguiles the court’s pompous fool Touchstone, playfully drawn by David Daniel. (Their hilarious nude scene is also something that would probably not grace the stage at APT under normal circumstances.)
Like the previous Zoom performance of short Chekhov comedies, the play is introduced by APT Artistic Director Brenda DeVita and concluded with a talkback, which is absolutely worth seeing. In this coda, you’ll get a fantastic “the show must go on” story from Nate Burger and a conversation with the actors that further reinforces what audiences already know; this is not the same. There is nothing that can replace live theater for those who create it or those who enjoy it.
But on an evening when you may be missing your traipse up the hill at APT, happily picnicked and covered with bug spray, this is a very fun way to visit old friends in an era of distance.
