“It's a wonderful woods to visit for an hour, one in which no young theatergoer will ever feel lost.”
-New York Times

 “AS YOU LIKE IT”

Book by Doug Devita
Music & Lyrics by Paul L. Johnson

Rosalind is driven from her cruel uncle’s court to take refuge in the Forest of Arden, disguising herself as a boy to protect herself and her cousin Celia. (Before leaving court, Rosalind has fallen in  love with Orlando.)  But dressed as a boy, she must conceal her true feelings in her next encounter with Orlando, who has also escaped into the forest to avoid his brother Oliver’s murderous intentions. And in the magical forest of Arden, lovers are united, enemies reconciled and the true values of civilization are restored.

APRIL 9TH – May 15TH
 Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. & Sundays at 1:00pm and 3:00pm

Directed by Jason Summers

Featured in the cast are:

JASON FORBACH . CHRIS JANSSEN  .  NOAH LONGO   

ELISE MARIE .  MARIJA REIFF

.  Artistic and Production Team  .

Costume and Scenic Design . JENNA ROSSI-CAMUS
Lighting Design  .  CARRIE YANCONO
Production Stage Manager  .  KANAKO MORITO

April 9th through May 15th

Saturdays 1PM
 Sundays 1PM AND 3PM

April 22, 2005

FAMILY FARE

A Taste of Shakespeare, as They Like It

By LAUREL GRAEBER

Shakespeare knew all about sibling rivalry; so do children. He appreciated the value of a good joke and a clever disguise; so do children. But in matters of language and metaphor, it's hard for an Elizabethan playwright and contemporary youngsters to find common ground.

Doug Devita and Paul L. Johnson have met the challenge brilliantly in "As You Like It," Vital Children's Theater Company's musical version of a comedy that includes not one but two sets of wooing lovers and quarreling brothers, not to mention cross-dressing. Their strategy might be summed up as speak 21st century, sing 16th century. While the script includes ordinary speech, Mr. Johnson, the composer and lyricist, has set passages of Shakespeare to music.

The actors enter singing "All the world's a stage ...," introducing themselves and their characters. The play's line "Love is merely a madness" has been incorporated into a jazzy tune that the heroine, Rosalind (Marija Reiff), and her beloved, Orlando (Jason Forbach), sing in two-part harmony. And if children don't understand all the phrasing, the music carries them along, as well as the narration by Noah Longo, who plays Touchstone and other roles.

Jason Summers, the director, has further shaped the action for young audiences. Orlando and his brother, Oliver (Chris Janssen), tussle onstage like peeved 8-year-olds. The actors interact with the children, seeking assistance with everything from costume changes to distributing Orlando's love letters; at one point, they're even asked to do "the wave." Mr. Summers has also included sly jokes for adults: when Orlando battles a lioness, the two start snapping their fingers à la "West Side Story."

Jenna Rossi-Camus has provided the production's inspired design, which includes Day-Glo wigs for Rosalind and her cousin, Celia (Elise Marie), and a candy-colored Forest of Arden whose trees double as chalkboards. It's a wonderful woods to visit for an hour, one in which no young theatergoer will ever feel lost.

"As You Like It," through May 15 at the McGinn/ Cazale Theater, 2162 Broadway, at 76th Street, fourth floor, (212) 352-3101. Saturdays at 1 p.m.; Sundays at 1 and 3 p.m. Tickets: $15.