As You Like It

Saturday night, my roommate Lara and I went to BYU's production of As You Like It. We had a great time! Instead of doing a traditional version, BYU did a modern interpretation of the play. They kept the language the same, but they changed everything else to make it more like present day. When The Duke is forced into exile they were taken away by men dressed in black with ski masks, all the characters wore contemporary clothes, and they incorporate modern music.

Rachel Baird and Gabriel Spencer as Phebe and Silvius

They started the night with a few of the cast members doing some musical numbers as a pre-show. The stage was pretty simple. It had columns around the main stage and a raised circular area in the back (also surrounded by columns). The floor had some panels that opened and allowed the exiles to make "fires." The show had a little bit of everything: romance (of course), intense fight scenes, humor, and adorable little children. It was so fun to see the little kids acting. There were five kids in the show, including two forest babies!

Of course the play itself is great no matter how you interpret it. It's one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. There is so much humor and fun throughout the whole thing. I thought all the actors did great in BYU's production. I especially liked Touchstone (the fool played by Graham Ward),Celia (Anne Shakespeare), Orlando (Ben Isaacs), Adam (Played by Patrick Newman; At least I think this is what his character was called, I didn't hear his name when they said it on stage so I had to guess from the program info.) and the whole Phebe/Silvius thing.

One of the fights scenes and a scene where Celia (Anne Shakespeare) is comforting Rosalind (Ashley Bonner). I think it might be right before Celia's solo.

I didn't know all the songs they played, but all of them fit really well with the play. At the end they even encouraged the audience to sing along to the song "Inches and Falling" (I love love, I love being in love...). This was the play list for the show: "Your Confederacy", Kris Paries;"I'll Follow You into the Dark", Death Cab for Cutie; "Easy Lucky Free", Bright Eyes; "Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind", Kris Paries; "Hesitating Beauty", Billy Bragg; "I'm Your Man", Leonard Cohen; "The Chain", Ingrid Michaelson ; "Brand New Day", Joshua Radin; and "Inches and Falling", The Format.

All in all it was a great night! I had lots of fun, and heard some good music. It was really interesting to see their interpretation. The play also reminded me of all those movies that came out where they mixed modern day background with traditional speech, like Hamlet w/ Ethan Hawke, and Romeo + Juliet w/ Leo DeCaprio and Claire Danes. Although honestly if I actually do have a movies-based-on-Shakespeare marathon, I'll probably just end up watching 10 Things I Hate About You and She's the Man.

BYU Arts As You Like It Info Page

Currently: so very excited for this summer!!

P.S. The picture of me is from the last time I saw As You Like It (At the Globe Theater! I know, I'm spoiled).

Betrayal of Flavio

This weekend my roommate and I went to a play called the Betrayal of Flavio (put on by BYU). The play was an example of Commedia dell'arte , a type of Italian theatre that involves wearing masks and incorporating improvisation. I had never been to a play like this before and it was a lot of fun. I didn’t realize how much they involved the audience. The actors asked questions to the audience, pulled people on stage, borrowed hats, and got up and climbed into the seats surrounding the stage. One character even borrowed my purse for awhile (He also told me my hair was curly like a never ending flower, lol). My favorite character was the old man (his name was pantalone or something like that). The girl playing him was great at improvisation. Plus she had a really good old man’s voice.

Currently: hoping snow doesn’t come to Provo today