For the tenth anniversary of Public Works, Shakespeare in the Park re-staged the incredible musical-adaptation of As You Like It (which lends itself well to the musical genre) brought to life by Shaina Taub, who also plays Jaques. It's kind of incredible how perfect this play is for the mission of Public Works, to blur the line between community members and professional performers. Because "All the world's a stage, and the men and women merely players". It's about the power of theater as a unifying force. It's beautiful and just the show we need in the pandemic. It's a celebration of community and diversity. The ending is poignant with old Rosalind and Orlando, and young Jaques, who is actually a noticeably stronger singer than the composer who casts herself a la Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The plot is unbelievable and convoluted and honestly kind of irrelevant. It has a happy ending, naturally, relatively lightweight for Shakespeare. But it is hilarious and really quite clever. There is a wrestling scene that is staged as a fun luchador battle. "Let's go Bronco, let's go Frankie" reminded me of Bronco Henry haha. The set is gorgeous. With the Belvedere Castle in the background, there is a bridge and three beautiful trees representing the Arden. The band is beneath the bridge. The cast is easily a hundred strong, surely the biggest company they've had at the Delacorte and they're wonderful. They're a reflection of us and there's something very moving about that.
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