As You Like It is all about relationships - two sets of brothers at odds who eventually mend fences, cousins who are as close as sisters, and not one, not two, but four pairs of lovers. The setting moves from the court of the new duke, to the Forest of Arden, where the old duke has taken up residence after being banished, followed soon by his newly banished daughter (in disguise as a man, because Shakespeare) and her cousin/sister. Mishaps, mistaken identities, and an off-stage lioness attack aren't enough to prevent the happy ending(s).
TTT's Artistic Director Caitlin Lowans directs the play with TTT's usual sense of play and immediacy, the story playing out clearly and concisely in just over two hours (including intermission). She directs a cast of seven actors who are among the best in town, and as always, it's a joy to watch them up-close-in-personal, with "all the lights on," looking us directly in the eye, instead of observing them on a big stage from a seat in a dark theater. Nubia Monks and Darius Dotch are so charming as the lovers Rosalind (aka the boy Ganymede) and Orlando, our central love story. The other four actors all play three roles, often switching between then in quick succession, sometimes in the same scene. Bill McCallum is the stern new duke, the court fool, and a sick-in-love young shepherd. Dustin Bronson is Orlando's angry older brother and Amiens, the musician of Arden (with a lovely singing voice I don't think I've heard before), with a brief appearance as a hooded... priest? Greg Watanabe is the tough wrestler (a fun scene choreographed by Annie Enneking), the noble banished duke, and an old shepherd. In addition to her main role as Rosalind's cousin/sister/BFF Celia, Isa Condo-Olvera also plays a stooped old servant and a goat herder who is the object of the fool's affection. And Katie Bradley does well with one of the best and most famous monologues in Shakespeare, the melancholy Jacques' "all the world's a stage," and also plays an eager servant and a shepherdess in love with Ganymede.
Music is always an important part of TTT's work, but especially in this play that calls for music. Music Director Joni Griffith has composed music to go along with Shakespeare's lyrics, and provides a constant underscore on violin and various other instruments, including I think some looping technology. And she also makes a brief wordless appearance in the story as a deer.
I'm obsessed with Sarah Bahr's patchwork costumes, comprised of denim and various kinds of knits (including macramé), in earthy tones of cream, brown, and burnt orange. The actors switch between characters with the help of a coat or sweater, hat or cape, all color- and pattern-coordinated. There is so much intricate detail that can be witnessed from up close, from the trim of a hat, to the brothers' coat collars that turn down when they go to the woods to reveal another color. The design of the costumes is continued in the minimal set pieces and props (also designed by Sarah), including a couple of posts adorned with leaves and grapes, and two blocks draped with the same sort of fabric and knit.
Ten Thousand Things is my favorite company to see interpret Shakespeare. Because they bring the show to less experienced audiences, they work to make the text clear and understandable, without dumbing it down. And that means it's more accessible, easier to understand, and more modern and relatable, for all audiences. It's Shakespeare exactly as I like it.
