| To truly encapsulate this play in a few lines is impossible. Seen from a single angle, it is a light and frivolous comedy. Turn it over, and it is a wistful reflection of times passed and opportunities missed. It is Autumn remembering Spring but realizing that Winter is just around the bend. Shakespeare revisits earlier themes (notably those of As You Like It) but this time with a wiser eye and an older soul. We laugh, but our laughter is that which comes when we reminisce with old friends.
We dressed this show in very bright colors just as we often idealize and color our own memories, to heighten them and to codify them into meaning. With this show we got "closer" to our audience. Literally closer, because we built a thrust stage to span the gap between the bandshell stage and the seating area. Figuratively closer, because this was the first of our outdoor comedies to really try not only to make you laugh, but also to let you see the shape, color and texture of this Company's soul. |