By: Paul Langdon
The St. Louis Shakespeare Festival has returned to the Glen in Forest Park for its 24th season of Shakespeare in the Park. This year’s production, directed by local theatrical icon Nancy Bell, is the classic comedy As You Like It, which tells the story of Orlando and Rosalind, two lovers whose path to togetherness is filled with hijinks, miscommunications, and secret identities. The cast possesses a snappy comedic timing that gives the wit of this 400-year-old material a delightfully contemporary feel.
“The amazing thing about these plays is that they resonate with us in different ways depending on what’s happening in the world, what’s happening in our own lives, and there’s obviously things in them that speak to people across the centuries,” says Tom Ridgely, Producing Artistic Director of the St. Louis Shakespeare Festival. “One thing that’s beautiful about this play is that it’s really about love, and the difference between the version of love we get from movies or songs or, in the case of the play, from sonnet books, and what it really means to be in a relationship. That’s what Rosalind somehow knows, and it’s amazing because she hasn’t experienced it, but she’s just able to intuit it.”
Two on the Aisle’s Gerry Kowarsky once said, “Of the women in Shakespeare’s comedies Rosalind has the most lines and is probably the most admired.” The talented Caroline Amos provides a truly admirable portrayal in this production, and knowing her background makes her performance that much more inspiring.
“I grew up here in St. Louis and I grew up seeing the Shakespeare Festival every single summer,” Amos shares. “I loved it so much that I took all the Shakespeare camps when I was a kid. And I was so obsessed that a bunch of us even enlisted the help of the Festival to give us classes on Saturday mornings during High School, which is kind of nuts to think about now. But it was awesome, and I loved it so much that I went to Webster’s Conservatory because I loved the work that Bruce Longworth did directing, specifically his production of Hamlet, which was really informative to my time. And then as an adult I’ve gone on to do Shakespeare in the Streets with Nancy, our director, I’ve done Shakespeare the Education Tour where we did Hamlet and Midsummer in 2016. And so doing the mainstage has been a lifelong dream! I’m really excited to not only make it happen, but to make it happen with this character and these people!”
Along with a cast of recognizable St. Louis actors, Director Nancy Bell has a rich history with the Festival. Her resume includes writing the 2019 Shakespeare in the Streets play Remember Me and directing their 2018 production of the George Brant comedy Into the Breeches! (for which she won the 2019 St. Louis Theater Circle Award for Outstanding Director of a Comedy).
As You Like It continues through June 23, 2024. For more information visit www.stlshakes.org.
