As someone who's been meaning to visit Writers Theatre but was struggling to get out of the city and up to Glencoe, I can say that my trip was more than worth it. I was treated to the musical adaptation of As You Like It, directed by Braden Abraham, the theater's artistic director, with music direction by Michael Mahler, and choreography by Erin Kilmurray.
I went with a faint connection in my mind between this new show and another musical adaptation of Shakespeare I had seen—and loved—in London, back in 2018. That show, a musical Twelfth Night, was a transformative experience at the Young Vic Theatre, every moment passionate and gorgeously composed. Well, it turns out that the music and book for that show and As You Like It were both written by Shaina Taub (though this time, the play was co-adapted with Laurie Woolery rather than Kwame Kwei-Armah). I was thrilled to spend another glorious night bathed in her musical influence, though I'll admit I had incredibly high expectations after seeing Taub's previous work.
Per Writers Theatre, this show includes 16 actors and two singers, playing guitar, bass, violin, mandolin, banjo, accordion, ukulele, and a drum kit, with new musical arrangements for the production. The live band played us to our seats with folksy covers of popular songs from the last few decades. (Lindsay Jones handled sound design.) This production is set in 1920s Chicago, which seemed to mainly influence the set—for the classic speakeasy—and costuming choices—fur coats, jeweled headpieces, etc. (Costume design by Raquel Adorno.)
The set was stunning—for the opening, a functioning bar built for the show set the scene for an old-world speakeasy, and for later scenes in the forest of Arden, gorgeous trees woven with hanging cloth and beautiful chandeliers. (Scenic design by Sara Ryung Clement and Jacelyn Stewart with lighting design by Eric Southern and Daphne Agosin.) The language fluctuated between Shakespearean and modern English, with slang thrown in for a comedic punch. Plus, the gender-bending casting perfectly complemented Shakespeare's playful tendency toward disguising, and unconsciously queering, so many of his characters.
The musical's tone was clear from the opening sequence—the ensemble moved across the stage with languid choreography by Kilmurray, giving the whole world a luxurious glow. There were core elements of the original Shakespearean plot, like Duke Frederick (Scott Aiello) hosting a royal wrestling tournament, Orlando (Benjamin Matthew) and his youthful competitiveness, and his brotherly rivalry with the shady character, Oliver (Anand Nagraj). We get Shakespearean exclamations of "Villain!" and excellent fight direction (by Max Fabian), complete with breakaway furniture. And, of course, there was plenty of unrequited love and warring families.
The song "In Arden" was accompanied by a stunning group dance. The ensemble had off-the-grid commune vibes, with flowy white clothing and beautiful deer puppets hand-operated by actors. It paints a stark contrast between the city bar, full of rivalries and strife, versus the country dance floor, where all arguments are put to rest and lovers find each other. One especially vibrant song included the introduction of a fiddle, a washboard, the do-si-do, and line dance-style movement.
In signature Taub style, the humor shone through along with the heart. One of the highlights was the pop ballad sung by the lovestruck Orlando (a super charismatic Benjamin Matthew), rife with cliches and malaphors, body rolls, and boyband-style choreo. Oh yeah, and a Lin-Manuel Miranda-meets-Bo Burnham-style rap breakdown. Phoebe González as Rosalind—and later her boyish counterpart, Ganymede—is full of wit and spark, with dynamic vocal chops that seemed to transform alongside her character. And her close friendship/cousinship with Andrea San Miguel as Celia serves as the perfect emotional inroad into the story and its stakes before a single romance is at play.
A love triangle was too basic for Shakespeare, so this play had a love square—which the set designers captured with an actual square on the stage. But as beautiful as the production was, perfection wasn't the point. Orlando idealized his love, Rosalind, and so she disguised herself to teach him that marriage must be imperfect to be real. The lyrics of "Under the Greenwood Tree (reprise)" state, "together, we'll heal our wound." The story of Arden shows a flawed community of exiles who have found the love and acceptance with each other that they didn't have in their families of origin. The ultimate message of this adaptation is that there is a place where everyone belongs, as long as we're willing to understand and forgive each other's differences. Under the Greenwood tree, they sang, "No fear, all are welcome here." Or, as Shakespeare put it, "Here shall he see / No enemy / But winter and rough weather." There's no better message for Chicagoans to hear right now, and no better entertainment for them to see.
As You Like It is playing through December 14. Run time is 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission. Writers Theatre is located at 325 Tudor Court, Glencoe. You can get more info and purchase tickets on the Writers Theatre website.
Taub even sent a video wishing Writers Theatre good luck!
For more information on this and other plays, see theatreinchicago.com.
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