Jacksonville, AL – In a unique twist on tradition, Jacksonville State University is set to kick off its theatre season with a production of William Shakespeare’s comedy, “As You Like It,” featuring an all-woman cast. Director Michael Boynton is reimagining this classic play, aiming to provide an exciting and fresh experience for both students and audiences.
Historically, during Shakespeare’s time, women were not permitted to perform on stage. Consequently, male actors portrayed iconic female roles such as Juliet and Desdemona. Boynton’s innovative approach to casting an all-female ensemble in “As You Like It” serves as a refreshing departure from this historical norm.
Boynton, an associate professor of theatre at JSU, has not only assembled an all-woman cast but also adapted the play to suit this unique production. His adaptation involves adding and removing text, transforming the original play, and contextualizing it in a novel way. The result promises to be a captivating and contemporary reimagining of “As You Like It.”
The original play, written and performed around 1598-1600, is a five-act comedy that revolves around the character Rosalind, a duke’s daughter. Rosalind, along with her cousin Celia, is forced into exile and takes refuge in a forest. There, Rosalind reunites with her love interest, Orlando, while disguised as a shepherd boy. It is in this play that we first encounter Shakespeare’s iconic line, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.”
Boynton noted, “Once I started working on the play as the director, one of the main themes I first latched onto was gender. I feel like, of all of Shakespeare’s plays, ‘As You Like It’ is perhaps the most gender-affirming and fluid for the female characters.”
The 15-member, all-woman cast has dedicated 16-20 hours a week to rehearsals over the past two months. Boynton hopes that the production will demonstrate the significance and power of theatre, illustrating how even an age-old Shakespearean play can be engaging, entertaining, and pertinent to contemporary audiences, particularly younger generations.
The upcoming performances of “As You Like It” are scheduled for the following dates:
– Friday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
– Saturday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m.
– Sunday, Oct. 29 at 2:30 p.m.
– Monday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the show can be purchased online for $12 through this link or for $14 at the box office. Don’t miss this unique theatrical experience as Jacksonville State University raises the curtain on its new theatre season with a fresh take on a Shakespearean classic.
