As You Like It

RISING ARTS PRODUCTIONS PROUDLY PRESENTS ONE OF SHAKESPEARE'S MOST OUTRAGEOUS & QUEER COMEDIES: AS YOU LIKE IT!

‘As You Like It’ is one of Shakespeare’s seminal and most ridiculous comedies.

Featuring a wrestling match, a lion attack, four simultaneous weddings, the

appearance of a goddess, mistaken identity, and multiple musical numbers, this

play is Shakespeare at his most fun and absurd.

Rosalind and Orlando, two youths living in the royal court near the Forest of Arden,

have fallen suddenly and madly in love. Their potential union is cut short, however,

when they are forced to separately flee the royal court: Rosalind’s uncle, the

usurping Duke Frederick, banishes Rosalind from the court, while Orlando’s

conniving older brother, Oliver, makes moves to have Orlando murdered. With

companions in tow, they both flee for the nearby forest where Orlando finds safety

within a small enclave of banished nobles lead by Rosalind’s overthrown father,

Duke Senior, and Rosalind joins a local community of farmers disguised as a young

man named Ganymede. In her disguise as Ganymede, Rosalind finds opportunities

to test the dedication of her beloved Orlando, all while avoiding the advances of an

infatuated shephardess, Phebe, and the scorn of Phebe’s mooning suitor, Silvius.

While scholars still debate the qualities of this messy masterpiece,

‘As You Like It’ has continued to thrive into the 21 Century. With some of the most popular

characters in the Shakespeare canon, raucous explorations of sexuality and gender,

and a vein of kindness running right to its core, ‘As You Like It’ is a comforting

queer classic for the ages.

This show contains sexual references and coarse language. It is recommended for ages 16+

Doors open 30 minutes prior to show start. Join us early for a pre-show drink and to ensure you get the best seats in the house.