Jacksonville, AL – With a fresh variation on the traditional practices, Jacksonville State University is getting ready to launch its season of theatre with a performance of Shakespeare’s comedy “As as You’d Like” with an all-female cast. The director Michael Boynton is reimagining this classic comedy, with the aim to create an engaging and exciting experience for the audience and students.
Historically, during the time of Shakespeare there was no women’s right to appear on the stage. Therefore, male actors played famous female roles like Juliet or Desdemona. Boynton’s unique method of casting a female-only ensemble in “As as You Want It” is an interesting departure from this conventional practice.
Boynton who is acting as an assistant professor in theatre at JSU He has not just created an all-woman cast, but has also modified the script to accommodate the production’s unique style. His adaptation consists of changing and removing the text, altering the original text by setting it up in a new manner. The result is sure to be a fascinating and modern reimagining of “As As You Would Like.”
The play’s original script, written and performed between 1598 and 1600 it is a comedy of five acts that centers around Rosalind who is the daughter of a Duke. Rosalind together with her cousin Celia is forced to flee and seeks refuge in the forest. In the forest, Rosalind reunites with her lover, Orlando, while disguised as a shepherd boy. In the play that we first come across Shakespeare’s most famous line “All the world is playing on stage, with everyone is simply actors.”
Boynton stated, “Once I started working on the play as director one of the major themes I was first drawn to was the issue of gender. I think, among Shakespeare’s plays”As You like It’ may be the most gender-inclusive and fluid for gender-neutral characters.”
The all-woman cast of 15 has devoted 16 to 20 hours per week to rehearsals for the last two months. Boynton is hoping that the show will showcase the power and importance of theater, demonstrating how an old Shakespearean play can be enjoyable and entertaining. It is also relevant to the current audience, in particular younger generations.
The next performance of “As You Like It” will take place on these dates
– Friday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. – Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 29 at 22:30 p.m.
Monday, October. 30 at 7:15 p.m.
Tickets for the show are available to be purchased on the internet for just $12 by clicking the page as well as at the ticket office for $15. Don’t miss this unforgettable show in Jacksonville State University as Jacksonville State University raises the curtain on the new season of theatre with a new approach to the Shakespearean classic.
