“All the world’s a stage |And all the men and women merely players| They have their exits and their entrances | And one man in his time plays many parts.”
If ever there was a speech by Shakespeare more agreeable for a review, I can’t imagine it. And that this was so agreeably spoken by Darcy Harman in the role of Jacques in the New Mexico State University Theatre Department’s current production of “As You Like It” made it all the sweeter.
The production honors the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s first folio published in 1623. It also honors the very best of NMSU theatre – “such stuff as dreams are made on” (Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”) – the pageantry and eloquence, the toil and tears, the heart, the love and the magic.
“And thereby hangs a tale,” as Jacques also says. For this production comes to life because of the time and talent invested in it by about 60 people.
“As You Like It” has a marvelous cast of 20 NMSU and community actors and a production staff of nearly 40 students, staff and community members that includes a fight choreographer (Joseph Lopez) and fight captain (Angelique Reagan, who also played multiple parts in the show), intimacy coordinator (Bobbi Masters) and a welder (Judith Villalva).
New Theatre Department faculty and staff were costume, lighting and scenic designers, including the set’s fabulous climbable trees. Students were part of the construction of the set and the costumes.
“There were a lot of new skills learned and practiced for this one from working with Shakespearean text, to set construction and scenic painting, to using the fly system and to construction of some pretty intricate period-inspired costumes,” the play’s director, Larissa Lury, told me.
Elia Vasquez (Orlando), Eliza Phillips (Rosalind) and Athena McPeake (Celia) are so powerful in “As You Like It” lead roles, and equally strong are the supporting players, who filled the Mark and Stephanie Medoff Theatre with the poetry and passion, the joy and genius of the world’s greatest playwright, one of his best plays and a truly outstanding NMSU production.
“It is a strong ensemble, who really work together to make (the show) what it is,” Lury said.
The work of composer Lisa Hermanson and the songs Lury included in the show, “Take Me Back,” by Sara Ellen Jarosz and “Inside Outside,” which Lury co-wrote with Mike Simses, added even more to this grand pageant.
Kudos to Elia Vasquez (violin), Ben Ramsey (guitar), Greta Greenblatt (bass), Vance Cook (ukelele) and Eliza Phillips (ukelele) who played their instruments in character and added immeasurably to the show.
Remaining performances of “As You Like It” are 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Nov. 10-11 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12.
Tickets are $20 general admission, $16 for students, seniors and military and $10 for ages 18 and under. For tickets, visit https://theatre.nmsu.edu/. Click on “Performances & Events” and “Our Current Season,” scroll down to “As You Like It” and click on “Get Your Tickets Here!” Tickets are also available at the door before each performance. Call the box office at 575-646-4515.
