HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-07-14, Page 18PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2005.
Theatre review
Festival’s ‘As You Like It’ is groovy
Likeable
Sarah Topham as Rosalind, centre front, and Bernard Hopkins, centre back, as Hymen with
members of the company in Stratford Festival’s production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
(David Hou photo)
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
The Stratford Festival production
of William Shakespeare’s As You
Like It. is .... well, groovy.
Directed by Antoni Cimoiino,
executive director of the Festival,
the love story of Orlando and
Rosalind has been transported with
surprising success to the 1960s.
While 1 generally dislike the ten
dency to re-create Shakespeare's
works in another era, there’s some
thing about this one that seems to fit
in the time of peace, love and under
standing. in his notes, Cimoiino
explained that the setting is a struc
ture rather than a constrictive dupli
cation, a lens to magnify the themes
Colm Feore returns to Stratford
to play Fagin in ‘Oliver’
Colm Feore, who just finished a
triumphan’ run on Broadway play
ing Cassius in Julius Caesar and
who will be featured in the upcom
ing ABC summer drama series
Empire, wili join the Stratford
Festival company in 2006 to play
Fagin in the musical Oliveri and the
title roles in the Shakespearean
drama Coriolanus and in Moliere’s
Don Juan. Festival artistic director
Richard Monette announced June
26.
Oliver! with book, lyrics and
music by Lionel Bart, will be
directed by Donna Feore, who has
been with the Stratford Festival for
14 seasons as an associate director
and choreographer.
Coriolanus is directed by the
Festival’s executive director,
Antoni Cimoiino. Opening at the
Avon Theatre later in the year will
be Don Juan by Moliere with per
formances planned in both English
and French.
It will be directed by Lorraine
Pintal, artistic and managing direc
tor of Montreal’s Theatre du
Nouveau Monde, which will
remount this production after its
Stratford run.
Joining Don Juan at the Avon
Theatre will be Rodgers &
Hammerstein's South Pacific. The
creative team for this musical, with
music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics
by Oscar Hammerstein II and book
by Oscar Hammerstein II and
Joshua Logan, is not yet confirmed.
Further play choices for the 2006
season, as well as additional cast
ing, will be announced later in the
year.
of this classic play.
From its strong musical focus; As
You Like It has more music than any
other Shakespearean play; to the
communal settlement of the ban
ished Duke and his followers, there’s
a free-spirited feel to the story that is
Belgrave
girl
St, Anne’s
reminiscent of the summer of love.
The story that weaxes itself
around the central characters of
Rosalind and Orlando is full of
twists and fun. The lovers first meet
when Orlando bests the court’s
wrestler.
’Then, later having been cast from
the court of her uncle Duke
Frederick, Rosalind sets out to the
Forest of Arden, where her father
Duke Senior, who had been banished
by his brother Frederick, now
resides. She is accompanied by her
devoted cousin Celia and (he court
fool Touchstone.
Fearful of travelling alone as
women, Rosalind takes on the guise
of a young boy, Ganymede. Orlando
too has fled to the forest away from
his brother Oliver. There he posts
messages in the trees, proclaiming'
his love of the fair Rosalind.
When the two meet, Ganymede
involves Orlando in a game of role
playing, where she will ‘pretend’ to
be his Rosalind, to test him.
Cimoiino plays up the humour and
a marvelous cast breathes warmth
and fun into the production. Sarah
Topham is an enchanting Rosalind,
both starry-eyed and mischievous.
Dion Johnstone’s easy style is a nice
balance. While they do generate
some chemistry it's less cosmic than
magnetic. It’s not exactly radiant,
more the sense of a gentle moving
together.
Sophie Goulet charms as Celia
and Stephen Ouimette delivers a
wonderful performance as
Touchstone.
Also starring in this show is the
music. Cimoiino stated that he want-
ed the music to be influenced by the
period, but to speak to people today.
To that end, the Barenaked Ladies
wrote the score to support
Shakespeare’s lyrics and the effect is
perfect. Sung primarily by Dan
Chameroy as Amiens, the songs are
both a reflection of joy and melan
choly that perfectly suits that time,
yet entertains today.
The set design by Santo Loquasto
is spartan but effective, with ladders
as buildings then trees, while the
costumes somehow manage to
reflect both the Elizabethan era and
the 1960s. .
With this production Stratford
proves once again that it knows its
Shakespeare, and with good acting,
plenty of humour and love, it deliv
ers it, as we like it.
The Festival’s production of As
You Like It closes Oct. 30.
WEDDINGS
Performed - your location or our indoor
or outdoor chapel (non-denominational)
All Christenings & Memorials
For brochure call:
Rev. CHRIS MORGAN
ALL FAITHS PASTORAL CENTRE
BENMILLER....524-5724
WEDDINGS
iff-forth com B ig2
f Marriage
scholar
Nicole
Walker
The daughter
of Doug and
Cathy Walker of
RR 1, Belgrave,
Nicole will be
attending the
University of
Western Ontario
in London to take English language
and literature. She is an Ontario
scholar from St. Anne’s Catholic
Secondary School in Clinton.
Slappy, 45th
‘Uleddiny
(InniiLe’t&a’iy,
J
i
Love your family & friends! >1
L
Leo and Corry Sanders
are pleased to announce
the forthcoming marriage
of their daughter,
Julie to Ryan Newman
son of
Dale and Carmie Newman.
The wedding will take place
on July 16, 2005 at the
home of the
% bride's parents. A
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