PlayMakers Streams First Film AS YOU LIKE IT

PlayMakers Repertory Company presents "As You Like It," one of the most beloved Shakespearean comedies, filmed at the Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art. Directed by Tia James in her PlayMakers directorial debut, the film streams January 8 to 21, 2022.

"As You Like It" is the Bard's ode to life, love, and nature that subverts the traditional rules of romantic comedy, with feisty cross-dressing heroines, a parade of foolish lovers, and of course (as this is Shakespeare), intrigue at Court.

"As an actor and director, I always want to share great stories with people," said director James. "Shakespeare has such wonderfully layered stories that lend themselves to reinterpretation by new generations. I very much wanted to take today's audiences on a journey in this film.

"Some parts are very personal about love, loss, and those moments that break your heart both with beauty and sadness. Some are on a bigger scale about who we are as a community, and what we stand for. I hope audiences see the heart that our entire Company put into this production, because undertaking something like this in 2021 speaks volumes about their belief in the healing power of performance."

This production of "As You Like It" is funded in part by Shakespeare in American Communities, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

"As You Like It" is streaming at playmakersrep.org January 8 to January 21, 2022. For more information and to purchase streaming access, visit www.playmakersrep.org.

"'As You Like It' originally was planned as the final play in our virtual 20/21 season, with the hope its ebullient and sensitive themes would provide an uplifting experience for our audiences. We were unable to film in Spring 2021 due to safety concerns, which might have discouraged a less determined and creative person than our intrepid director, Tia James," said Vivienne Benesch, Producing Artistic Director. "She has created a wondrous stage-film hybrid that I'm incredibly proud to share with audiences near and far. This project was a true labor of love for our whole Company, and it's an important step in our mission to make theatre more accessible to more people.

"We are grateful to funding from Arts Midwest that has also made it possible to distribute the film to Title I high schools and other K-12 schools across North Carolina."

The cast of "As You Like It" includes: Sergio Mauritz Ang ("The Skin of Our Teeth," "Julius Caesar"), Anthony August, ("Ragtime," "Everybody"), Jeffrey Blair Cornell ("Julius Caesar," "The Tempest"), Ray Dooley "The Skin of Our Teeth," "Seminar"), Samuel Ray Gates "Dot," Leaving Eden"), Kathryn Hunter-Williams ("Edges of Time," A Midsummer Night's Dream"), Tori Jewell ("The Skin of Our Teeth," "Julius Caesar"), Khalil Lesaldo ("Dairyland," "Julius Caesar"), Emily Musolong (PlayMakers debut), Yolanda Rabun ("No Fear and Blues Long Gone: Nina Simone"), Gwendolyn Schwinke ("The Skin of Our Teeth"), and AhDream Smith ("Julius Caesar," "The Skin of Our Teeth").

The creative team of "As You Like It" includes: Tia James (Director, PlayMakers directorial debut; acting credits "Julius Caesar," "Native Son"), Benjamin Boucvalt (Director of Photography, PlayMakers debut), Christopher Gerson (Editor, PlayMakers debut), McKay Coble (Scenic Designer, "My Fair Lady," "The Tempest/Metamorphoses"), Jan Chambers (Scenic/Costume Designer, "The Cake," The Tempest/Metamorphoses"), Latrice Lovett (Lighting Designer, PlayMakers debut), Brandon Reed (Sound Designer, "A Christmas Carol," "Native Son"), Emily Musolino (Composer, PlayMakers debut), Adam Versényi (Dramaturg, "Molière's Tartuffe," "Life of Galileo"), Tracey Bersley (Choreographer, "My Fair Lady," "Twelfth Night"), Gwendolyn Schwinke (Vocal Coach, "Native Son," "Dairyland"), Elizabeth Ray (Stage Manager, "Edges of Time," "Sense and Sensibility").

To post a comment, you must register and login.