Theatre goers were left whistling a tune after a modern version of a Shakespearean classic.
As You Like It, directed by Chris Abraham, carried us through a difficult time period (mostly) in the Forest of Arden, where Rosalind and her cousin Celia fled into exile, meeting up with a spirited cast of characters as complicated as they were enticing.
Sara Farb excels as the banished duchess hiding some important personal details – sometimes courtesy of a trucker hat – from Orlando (Christopher Allen), whose physicality throughout the play (including a spirited fight scene early on) hides a more sensitive side.
Makambe K. Simamba brings her talent to Celia, burning youthful energy with her cousin and trying to keep everyone none the wiser, even as Rosalind starts to melt for Orlando.
Along the way, some memorable actors join in – with Seana McKenna as the duchess and Evan Mercer and Andrew Chown as Orlando’s brothers.
The show moves from dark to light and takes a comedic deep dive courtesy of Steve Ross.
Always a master of physical comedy, his Touchstone character exuded a style of sexiness found attractive by perhaps only his love interest, and their inability to keep their hands off each other, or his clothes on, led to a memorable, almost Full Monty, love scene.
Where those lipstick lips on Touchstone’s boxers?
No need to verify that.
Set and costume designer Julie Fox kept audiences enthralled as conservative dress gave way to increasingly more modern fair near the end.
Winter snow fell on stage and fires were going in the woods, while soldiers with long guns were stationed on the theatre steps. A musically inclined Jaques (Aaron Krohn) and his frenemy Amiens (Gabriel Antonucci) entertained with their witty one-liners and catchy tunes.
In the boy we didn’t see that coming department, the music was a sign of things to come.
As You Like It wrapped up with (just about) everyone finding love and dancing some jigs to the rhythmic strums of a banjo and claps of support from a sold out Festival Theatre.
As You Like It runs until Oct. 24.
