Last night I had the pleasure of seeing a preview performance of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, The NOLA Project‘s latest show in collaboration with NOMA. The production, much like last year’s rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (which I wrote about in my first InvadeNOLA article ever!), was wonderfully suited to the space. The Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which is adjacent to NOMA, is already a whimsical locale. Throw in a bunch of actors pretending to be in a forest speaking Shakespearean prose and you’ve got pure magic.
Rosalind (Kathlyn Carson), Celia (Kate Kuen), and Touchstone (Michael Harkins) chatting in one of the opening scenes.
The play is set largely in the Forest of Arden, where a host of banished individuals come together and fall in love with each other. The two central characters, Rosalind and Orlando (Michael Krikorian), are especially in love. However, complications arise when the two are reunited in the forest and Orlando does not recognize Rosalind because she is dressed like a man. Sexual preferences are questioned (something we’ve all been through) as Orlando realizes he’s attraced to Rosalind’s male alter-ego “Ganymede” and Phebe (Natalie Boyd) also falls in love with Ganymede because she thinks she is a he. Hilarity ensues.
Orlando and Charles (Jason Kirkpatrick) wrestling.
As You Like It is often regarded as the Bard’s best comedy, and in the hands of The NOLA Project it is certainly hilarious. The acting and blocking allowed for great comedic timing. Since the play is staged using the entire sculpture garden, the space the players use is unrestricted, allowing each actor to stay in character even when they are “offstage.” As the action and dialogue is going on in front of the audience, other cast members could often be seen in the background going about their business entirely in character. Each actor was wholly comitted to their role – one of the three women who played a herd of sheep (arguably the funniest characters even though they had no lines) as well as the actor who played Adam (Michael P. Sullivan) both ate things that had fallen onto the ground. That’s commitment if you ask me. There are also opportunities for audience participation – the crowd is encouraged to cheer during a wresting match and given flyers with the headline “MISSING” when Duke Frederick is looking for his lost daughter.
The play has been slightly abridged, making the running time a manageable two hours. The cuts weren’t noticeable to me except for one hilarious moment which I will not spoil here.
There was also a lot of live music incorporated into the play, including a rendition of “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes.
The only thing I did not enjoy about the play was the bugs. They were trying to devour me the whole time. If you go, please wear bug spray. Also, bring a towel, blanket, or folding chair to sit on. I didn’t foolishly and I was covered in grass.
If you are a fan of truly immersive theater, I highly recommend you buy tickets to this show. Even if you’re not, buy ‘em anyway! They are only $16. The show will run May 9th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 17th, and 20th at 7pm so you have plenty of chances to see it. You will not regret your decision. As You Like It is a highly entertaining and beautiful play. “All the world’s a stage” indeed, but the Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA is certainly one of the best.
Brooke Larsen is a writer, performer and higher education professional from New Orleans, LA. She has a Bachelors degree in History from the University of New Orleans where she now works full-time. She is also the Assistant Blog Editor here at InvadeNOLA. Brooke loves comedy and fashion – her love-child of these is a fashion blog called Fierce Comical Modeling. Her goals are to gain local celebrity status and to one day travel to space. For more intrigue, visit hellobrookelarsen.com, her blog, or follow her on Twitter.
All photos taken with my trusty iPhone and edited on Instagram.
