As You Like It (William Shakespeare)

Frederick has usurped the Duchy and exiled his older brother, Duke Senior. The Duke’s daughter Rosalind has been permitted to remain at court because she is the closest friend of Frederick’s daughter Celia. Orlando, a young gentleman who has fallen in love with Rosalind, is forced to flee his home after being persecuted by his older brother, Oliver. Frederick, who has grown increasingly anxious about his treatment of his brother and niece, banishes Rosalind from court. Celia and Rosalind decide to flee together accompanied by the jester Touchstone, with Rosalind disguised as a young man.

Rosalind, disguised as Ganymede, and Celia, disguised as Aliena, arrive in the Arcadian Forest of Arden, where the exiled Duke now lives with some supporters. “Ganymede” and “Aliena” do not immediately encounter the Duke and his companions, as they meet up with Corin, an impoverished tenant, and offer to buy his master’s rude cottage.
Orlando and his servant Adam, meanwhile, find the Duke and his men and are soon living with them and posting simplistic love poems for Rosalind on the trees. Rosalind, also in love with Orlando, meets him as Ganymede and pretends to counsel him to cure him of being in love. Ganymede says he will take Rosalind’s place and he and Orlando can act out their relationship.

Meanwhile, the shepherdess Phebe, with whom Silvius is in love, has fallen in love with Ganymede (actually Rosalind), though “Ganymede” continually shows that “he” is not interested in Phebe. The cynical Touchstone has also made an amorous advance on the dull-witted goat-herd girl Audrey, and attempts to marry her before his plans are thwarted by the intrusive Jaques.

Finally, Silvius, Phebe, Ganymede, and Orlando are brought together in an argument with each other over who will get whom. Ganymede says he will solve the problem, having Orlando promise to marry Rosalind, and Phebe promise to marry Silvius if she cannot marry Ganymede. The next day, Ganymede reveals himself to be Rosalind, and since Phebe has found her love to be false, she ends up with Silvius.
Orlando sees Oliver in the forest and rescues him from a lioness, causing Oliver to repent for mistreating Orlando. Oliver meets Aliena (Celia’s false identity) and falls in love with her, and they agree to marry. Orlando and Rosalind, Oliver and Celia, Silvius and Phebe, and Touchstone and Audrey all are married in the final scene, after which they discover that Frederick has also repented his faults, deciding to restore his legitimate brother to the dukedom and adopt a religious life. Jaques, ever melancholy, declines their invitation to stay in the forest with them and also decides to adopt a religious life.

(Synopsis adapted from Wikipedia)

 

April 14-15 and June 16-17-18, 2009
Imperium

Director: Peter van Dolen
Assistant director: Egbert Langras
Stage Manager: Anne Fleur den Haan

Costumes: Ditmar Bakker
Make-up: Ditmar Bakker
Lighting/Sound: Dave Staring

CAST

Duke Senior: Egbert Martina
Duchess Frederica: Lenore Bell
Le Beau: Susan Bailey
Charla: Alex McKenzie
Touchstone: Kees Versseput
Olivia: Lisette Heijma
Orlando: Pim Leeuwenkamp
Jaqueline: Charlotte Liebelt
Dennis: Yelda van Eijk
Adam: Richard Boere
Amiens: Anouschka Valkenhoff
Jaques: Siofra McComb
Corin: Myrthe Brouwer
Silvius: Bart Châabane
William: Susan Bailey
Oliver Martext: Matthijs Van Zuilen
Rosalind: Jonathan Todd
Celia: Eva Wijman
Phebe: Rose Stegeman
Audrey: Joyce Mijlhoff
Lords: Matthijs van Zuilen, Charlotte Liebelt, Yelda van Eijk, Anouscka Valkenhoff
Hymen: Egbert Langras

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