SoA play delivers uplifting ensemble performances, an original score

In the School of the Arts’ new production of “As You Like It,” director and M.F.A. candidate Shannon Fillion has created an exquisite and entertaining world. From its mournful beginning to its uplifting conclusion, the play succeeds.

In the first scene, Rosalind sits alone staring aimlessly at the audience. Though large and fairly empty, the stage feels crowded by the presence of three large canvasses that function as walls.

Implied is the presence of the invisible fourth wall, just as large and imposing, which separates the audience from the stage.

The emergence of a frenzied collection of characters amplifies the claustrophobic atmosphere of the court of Duke Frederick. The audience is almost relieved when Rosalind and Celia are forced to flee the court, traveling instead to the Forest of Arden. Signaling this transition, the walls fall dramatically. The full space of the stage is finally visible, and the transition dispels instantly the isolation of the court.

The characters grow gradually more celebratory as they find themselves increasingly at home in the warm and welcoming environment of the forest. The sense of belonging contrasts starkly with the lonely environment of the court.

At the same time, the audience becomes immersed in the world of the play, absorbed by the compelling cast of characters. Certainly the ensemble is at the heart of this production, with each character more memorable than the last.

A student of Anne Bogart, Fillion is interested in physicality, and the performances reflect this concern. Yet she cautioned that the play is “not a physical comedy.” Instead, the focus with Shakespeare is on the language. The cast embraces this goal, communicating with clarity and dexterity.

The attractive set and lighting create the appropriate mood for the performance as well.

The play also features an original score to accompany Shakespeare’s words, and the music plays an important role in the production. As Fillion noted, “It’s the music that draws people together.” The characters’ joy is never as palpable as when they are singing together at the play’s climax. Indeed, the most wonderful thing about the production is how much fun the cast seems to be having with it.

The world of “As You Like It” is one in which “things are going very wrong,” Fillion said. “But there’s a glimmer of hope.”

She is perhaps too pessimistic. There is a lot to be happy about in this production.

The play runs until Jan. 28 at the Riverside Theatre. Students enter free.

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