playbill vip

Every now and then, I ask myself, "Why do Shakespeare? Why perform these plays written by a 400-year-old dead white man?" The simplest answer I often come back to is these plays, the characters in them, and the situations they find themselves in, are timeless. Shakespeare was really the first playwright to introduce "humanity" into his characters by giving them complex and often contradictory thoughts, feelings, and emotions. By making them more "layered" characters, and having them work out those complex human attributes within his plays, he gave us a "touchstone" for all plays, and dare I say, movies and TV shows that were to follow. 

As You Like It is truly a wonderful compilation of political intrigue, family drama, comedy, romance, and philosophy. 'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.' Those famous words are uttered by Jaques, who we will encounter in this play. In Jaques' monologue, while he weaves through the 'Seven Stages of Man' and all of the complexities that go with it, we hear Shakespeare discovering a thread of commonality in all of us: where we as an audience can empathize with each other through our common experiences. I have to point out that he didn't include women, so maybe not appealing to ALL of us. A shortcoming due to the times when this was originally written in the late 16th, early 17th century. However, during this rehearsal process, I was drawn to what Corin, a simple country shepherd living in Arden, tells us. The underlying message I believe he is trying to tell us is that while life can be complicated and complex, it is also important to recognize the beauty in simplicity and to be grateful for what we have been provided. Was Shakespeare telling us through this play that it is important for the audience to find that balance of simplicity and complexity within us? 

I've really enjoyed this process of bringing this show to life on stage.  I cannot speak highly enough about the talent of this cast. Each rehearsal, they intrigued me in some way or another, and kept the play fresh. Thank you to the cast for your efforts. Thank you to the City of Sugar Hill for allowing us a beautiful space to perform. And thank you to Players Guild for your support and the opportunity. We hope you, the audience, enjoy the show as much as we the cast and crew enjoyed creating it. 

Dean Coutris

Director, As You Like It