The Public Works production of As You Like It, a musical adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery, completes its run September 11, wrapping up the 2022 season of The Public's Free Shakespeare in the Park. As You Like It officially opened August 30 following a preview period which began August 10 at Central Park's Delacorte Theater.
In the Shakespeare comedy, the exiled Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind, and niece Celia find a welcoming community filled with love in the Forest of Arden.
The adaptation, directed by Woolery, premiered for a five-night run in the 2017 Public Works program. It was scheduled to return for the summer season in 2020, but postponed due to the pandemic. Similar to the original Public Works production, the summer staging features two rotating ensembles of 127 New Yorkers representing all five boroughs.
Returning to As You Like It Post Pandemic Through Darius de Haas’ Lens
The cast includes Damion Allen as William, Tristan André as De Boys/Attendant, Ato Blankson-Wood as Orlando, Lori Brown-Niang as Agent/Puppet-deer, Brianna Cabrera as Silvia, Darius de Haas as Duke Senior, Bianca Edwards as Phoebe, Pierre Harmony Graves as De Boys/Arden Dancer/Young Orlando Dad, Rebecca Naomi Jones as Rosalind, Jonathan Jordan as Andy, Bobby Moody as De Boys/Arden Dancer, Renrick Palmer as Oliver, Eric Pierre as Duke Frederick, Idania Quezada as Celia, Christopher M. Ramirez as Touchstone, Edwin Rivera as De Boys/Attendant, and Shaina Taub as Jaques. De Haas, Perez, and Taub are all reprising their roles from the 2017 Public Works production.
Serving as understudies and standbys are Amar Atkins, Sean-Michael Bruno, Danyel Fulton, Emily Gardner Xu Hall, Trevor McGhie, Mike Millán, Kevin Tate, and Claudia Yanez.
The creative team also features scenic designer Myung Hee Cho; costume designer Emilio Sosa; lighting designer Isabella Byrd; sound designer Sun Hee Kil; hair, wig, and makeup designer Leah Loukas; and puppet designer James Ortiz. Original choreography is by Sonya Tayeh, with choreography restaging and additional choreography by Billy Griffin. Prop management is by Corinne Gologursky, with Delacorte 2022 sound system design by Daniel Lundberg, orchestrations by Mike Brun, music direction by Andrea Grody, music coordination by Dean Sharenow, and fight direction by Lisa Kopitsky. Kristen Gibbs serves as production stage manager, joined by Anaïs Bustos and Jessie Moore as stage managers.
