YSU Theater presents ‘As You Like It’

the vindicator

YOUNGSTOWN — While one local theater company is deconstructing Shakespeare for laughs, YSU Theater will stage an earnest production of one of the Bard’s greatest comedies.

“As You Like It” will open Thursday night at Ford Theater, on the campus of Youngstown State University.

It will be a sharp contrast from Hop, Skip and Jump Productions’ “Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr [Abridged]” at Main Street Theater in Columbiana, which opens Friday.

“As You Like It” sees Shakespeare at his gender-bending best.

The play follows Rosalind, daughter of a banished duke, who is forced to flee the court and enter the Forest of Arden when her uncle threatens to have her killed.

Accompanied by her cousin Celia, Rosalind disguises herself as a man for safety’s sake. The disguise comes in handy when Rosalind tests the devotion of her admirer Orlando, another exile, and teaches him lessons of the heart. “As You Like it” contains some of Shakespeare’s most poetic language, as a merry and melancholy series of misunderstandings, gender confusions and mistaken identities unfolds.

Dennis Henneman is directing YSU’s production.

Jane Shanabarger is handling costume and makeup design; John Murphy, scenic/lighting design; Todd Dicken, production manager; Randy Goldberg, music director; Nancy Andersen Wolfgang, vocal coach; Kathleen Torba, dance choreographer; Vijay Welch, fight choreographer; and Krista Ulbricht, stage manager.

The cast includes Deanna Scott as Rosalind; Nathan Beagle as Touchstone; Randall Brammer as Orlando; and also Goldberg, Joe Finkel, Margaret Jones, Ryan Newell, Joseph Pascarella, Jacob Mauch, William Grant, Kayla Boye, Welch, Joshua Green, Jessica Schmidt, Daniel Temelkoff, Sheridan Sullivan, John Monroe, Ryan Bissett, Brittney Grant and Emily McGlawn.

There will be an opening night buffet dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday at the MVR, 410 Walnut St. A package price of $20 includes dinner and a ticket for the performance. The dinner price for season-ticket holders is $15. Reservations and payment must be made in advance with a credit card by calling the box office at (330) 941-3105.