As You Like It a shining star in Bushwick Shakes’ crown

One of two things usually happens when I go see a production of a play by William Shakespeare: either it is so bad that I want to leave the theater at the earliest opportunity, or it thrills me so much I feel like leaping out of my chair and rushing onstage to participate in the bluster and boisterousness. Usually, more often than not unfortunately, it is the first scenario that transpires, prompting me to locate a seat as close to the exit as possible so I can make my speedy getaway.

So it is with great pleasure that I greet a phenomenally talented new company of playmakers, one that seems destined for greatness. They are called Bushwick Shakespeare Repertory, and the production of As You Like It that I witnessed at the 78^th Street Theater Lab is about as good as it gets. When a production of Shakespeare's work is this good it’s hard not to crow about it.

Let’s start with the direction by Katherine Harte-DeCoux. This is a woman who clearly knows her stuff, both in regards to the playwright and to the era she chose to set the play in, a sort of fantasy America circa the 1930’s. I say fantasy because the world didn’t attempt to be absolutely faithful to the time period. Influences from both the 1920’s and 1940’s crept into the play, but they did not detract from it. Shakespeare himself didn’t seem to mind writing anachronisms into his plays, so why should we be bothered by them? As long as the story is served, I say anachronize away!

The cutting of the script was excellent; gone was the deus ex machina of Hymen descending from Heaven to clear everything up. Gone also were Shakespeare’s ballads, replaced instead by foot-stomping, knee-clapping bluegrass from the 1930’s, performed by the actors with the support of Amanda Gookin on cello and Michael Halpern on drums. Amanda and Michael also provided almost constant underscoring in a way that didn’t detract from the on-stage action (they themselves were in full view of the audience) and provided cover for the fairly rapid set changes.

The set was gorgeous yet simple. A beautiful tree constructed of recycled material proved the centerpiece, with a couple of pieces of furniture surrounding it. Tables, chairs, a folding screen, not much was necessary to conjure the Forest of Arden and the Duke’s court. The costumes were fun and gay, the ladies at court appearing as flappers, the country folk as rustics, and the exiled court in stylish summer suits. There were plenty of fedoras all round.

The company itself is exclusively female, with guest actors being brought in for some of the male roles. Many of the traditionally male roles are performed by the female members of the ensemble, a fact which doesn’t bother me in the least, as anyone who has taken my transgender performance in Shakespeare workshops can attest. In the case of this play, there were four men playing five roles, with nine women playing the remaining fourteen parts, including Whitney Kimball Long, who played both an Arden lord and the comedically brusque wrestler Charles with aplomb; Jordan Boughrum as Touchstone the Clown, slightly Becktt-esque in appearance and demeanor; and Michelle Foytek, a fabulous actor who nearly stole the show as the moonshine swilling Jaques. Melanie Stroh did an able job as the two Dukes, distinguishing between the “evil” Duke Frederick and the “good” Duke Senior nicely. Hannah Sloat was delightful in the dual roles of Adam & Audrey, while the two leading ladies, Tiffany Baker as Celia and Julia Crockett as Rosalind found just the right balance of poise, charm, and humor in their roles; they also made those flapper costumes look really elegant.

Not to forget those men. All four were rock solid: Mark August was thoroughly convincing as Orlando, the object of Rosalind's affections, amusing the audience with his banjo-strumming and muscle flexing. Chris Cornwell as Amiens got a chance to show off his singing voice as well, and Matthew Rini performed his two roles admirably, particularly the part of Silvius, stalwart lover in pursuit of his heart’s affection in the form of Phebe, played slightly manically by Jordan McFadden. The stand-out of the guys, however, was Ryan Feyk as the scheming Oliver, perhaps because he played his villain (and who doesn’t love the villain?) with a veracious sincerity that bordered on piousness; you cannot but help take it to heart when Oliver says, “I do not shame to tell you what I was, since my conversion so sweetly tastes, being the thing I am.”

A final note: The wrestling match was good old fashioned fun. Choreographed by Nathan DeCoux with a whimsical style, it brought just the right feel to the ever so important first act, establishing the mood for the rest of the evening and letting us know that we, the audience, truly were in good hands.

As You Like It runs August 12^th through August 23^rd at the 78^th Street Theatre Lab, 236 West 78^th Street, New York 10024. Produced by the Bushwick Shakespeare Repertory. Visit www.bushwickshakes.com for more info.