Theater at Monmouth Presents Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT, 7/10-8/23

William Shakespeare's pastoral comedy, As You Like It, opens at Theater at Monmouth on Friday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. Set in the 1940s, As You Like It explores the ups and downs of love and courtship. Filled with mistaken identities and misplaced devotion, As You Like It lampoons the often puzzling, yet utterly gratifying, labor of love.

For director Catherine Weidner, As You Like It has something for everyone. "It's about what we struggle with every day. We grapple with who we are within our family and how we differentiate ourselves from our parents and siblings," Weidner states. "We can run away to somewhere new and create a new identity, but somewhere beneath it all, we cannot help being who we truly are..."

To avoid a plot on his life and the wrath of the usurping Duke Frederick, Orlando flees to the safety of the Forest of Arden, but not before falling in love with the Duke's niece, Rosalind. When the Duke banishes Rosalind from the court she, and her cousin Celia, also flee to the woods. Disguised as brother and sister, they meet Orlando, Silvius, and a host of other forest dwellers. Eventually, the second identities become too much and Rosalind gathers all the lovers together to act out a bizarre ritual courtship that ends, as all good comedies do, with everyone paired up two-by-two.

As You Like It features Michael Dix Thomas as Orlando; Wendy Way as Adam; Leighton Samuels as Oliver; Max Waszak as Charles/Sir Martext; Lindsay Tornquist as Celia; Erica Murphy as Rosalind; Graham Emmons as Touchstone; Janis Stevens as Madam LeBeau; Mark S. Cartier as Duke Frederick/Duke Senior; Turner Frankosky as Duke's Man/Musician; Will Harrell as Jaques; Lisa Woods as Phebe; Ryan Simpson as Silvius; Bill Van Horn as Corin/Hymen; James Noel Hoban as Amiens; and Denise Cormier as Audrey. Set design by Dan Bilodeau, costumes by Jonna Klaiber, lights by Cecilia Durbin, and sound by Rew Tippin.

Performance Calendar: PREVIEW 7/10 at 7:30 p.m.; OPENING 7/11 at 7:30 p.m.; additional performance dates 7/12, 7/16, 8/5, 8/9, 8/22 at 7:30 p.m.; 7/27, 8/17, 8/20, 8/23 at 1:00 p.m.; 8/3 at 7:00 p.m. with post-show talk-back. Ticket prices range from $10-$30. Discounts available for groups of 10 or more. For calendar and reservations, please contact the TAM Box Office at 207.933.9999 or visit www.theateratmonmouth.org.

Theater at Monmouth, founded in 1970, was named the Shakespearean Theater of Maine by the State Legislature in 1975. The theatre's mission is to present innovative approaches to Shakespeare and other classic plays through professional productions that enrich the lives of people throughout Maine. Since its founding, TAM has produced expertly crafted, engaging productions in its three-month Summer Repertory Season entertaining audiences from 36 states and through Education Tours annually reaching more than 15,000 students statewide.

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