Directing a Production of As You Like It

Directing a Production of As You Like It

This is an analysis of act IV scene iii. I am setting it in the 21st

century it will be modern as opposed to Elizabethan or Victorian.

However, the characters will all speak in the language of Shakespeare.

I have set it in the modern times, so that it appeals to more of the

younger generations. The theme of this play is based around love,

betrayal, peace, rivalry, enmity and court versus country. Examples,

love: it is all around the play and one of the themes; Orlando and

Rosalind and ultimately characters like Oliver and Celia all fall in

love. Betrayal: Duke Fredrick kicked his own brother out of the court.

Rivalry, there is major sibling rivalry between Orlando and Oliver, as

Oliver is not giving Orlando the fair treatment that he deserves.

Peace: when Orlando sees his brother in trouble, he helps him, despite

the past, and makes up again. I also feel this play is quite ironic.

This applies to characters like Orlando and Rosalind, who both

discover their love for each other, and Orlando is banished. However,

Rosalind ends up being exiled to the same place. If she had not been

exiled, she would have never found out how Orlando felt about her. The

parts which are set in the forest in the original play, will now be

set in a huge meadow, with long grass and 500 foot trees surrounding

it. The meadow will have a very "hippie" theme to it. The parts in the

palace will be set in a huge mansion off the coast of the English

Channel. The huge mansion instead of having the conventional acres of

greenery will have a beachside equivalent. It will be an all male cast

to add to the whole mistaken identity...

... middle of paper ...

...r his use of the iambic pentameter, and this is a good example of

it.

In conclusion, I have decided to set it in modern times to make it

humorous, so that the audience will laugh. I personally, enjoy plays

much more if the audience is able to get involved, or on the other

hand I can relate to it, or laugh because it is so true to life. I

think some aspects of this play are definitely true to life, a lot of

us have lusted after people as the majority of all the characters have

in some part of the play. For example, Silvius and Phebe, Rosalind and

Orlando and Celia and Oliver. It was a very enjoyable play. I hope the

way in which I want to portray it, helps the humour. At the end of the

play, everything is sorted out; everyone gets what he or she wants.

Which, is the way the majority of Shakespeare plays end - happily.