Presentation Project

As You Like ItBy William Shakespeare

The Director

Andres Gil1186598Wold

One of the most crucial members in

the theatre field is the director. The director is in charge of orchestrating the production of a performance by combining the different elements of theatre into one. The director is also in charge of choosing and modifying the script in order to best accommodate his vision of the play.

A Director’s Cut

Written in late 1599/early 1600 by William

Shakespeare, As You Like It is a comedy about Orlando, a young nobleman seeking to obtain the treatment he deserves from his elder brother. At the same time Rosalind, the daughter of an usurped Duke, embarks on an adventure to find love when she is banished from her father’s old lands.

An Introduction to As You Like It

My group decided on “As You Like It” as our play and script because it

was a comedy written by Shakespeare himself, the setting was familiar and at the same time interesting, and it seemed like the best script out of the 4 choices.

Personally, as the director, I think the play is a bit too long for modern viewing. The audience tends to lose interest in very long plays. In order to accommodate for a more appropriate time of an hour and thirty minutes to two hours, it would be best to cut certain semi-redundant segments out of the script. An example of these segments include the excerpt: “The wretched animal heaved forth such groans that their discharge did stretch his leathern coat” from the First Lord’s dialogue in Act 2, Scene 1. Although it offers imagery to better convey what the character is saying, it is not essential to the play and as such it can be removed safely.

Choosing the script

Casting is hugely important in theatre. The

actors and actresses chosen will have to embody the characters of the play to the best of their ability. It is up to the director to find people that fit the description of the character both visually and emotionally.

The next few slides will contain the main characters along with the actor/actress I believe would be able to assume the role

Casting

Michael Cera as OrlandoMichael has been involved in films such as Superbad and Scott Pilgrim vs The World. In these films, he plays characters who are timid, but have an inner drive that allows them to achieve their goal. I would cast him as Orlando because of his experience with comedy and his abulity to embody goofy and determined.

Anne Hathaway as RosalindAnne Hathaway possesses comedic experience and could also believably achieve a masculine look, while retaining that distinct femininity about her. She would be able to become the strong-willed and clever woman Rosalind is. Anne is my preferred choice for the role of the heroine.

Seth Rogen as Duke SeniorDuke Senior is a kind-hearted man who despite being exiled to the forest, lives a happy life. Seth Rogen would play this part well since he is such a light-hearted person, yet can also be extremely funny. He’d had experience by acting in a multitude of roles, and has also directed a few of his own films.

Vince Vaughn as JacquesVince Vaughn is an experienced actor in the comedy field. This experience allows him to excel in a variety of roles. Jacques would need an actor that has a distinct melancholic disposition to them, and Vince would be the guy for it.

Emma Stone as CeliaEmma has shown that she can play the “best friend” character Celia is in films like Easy A. Celia is extremely close to Rosalind, and I think Anne and Emma could achieve the chemistry necessary for both roles.

James Franco as Duke FrederickDuke Frederick is a character that has a change of heart upon meeting an old religious man. A villain redeemed, James Franco plays a similar role in Spider-Man 3 as the New Goblin. He is an experienced actor who has appeared in comedy films before and would be great for the role

Russell Brand as TouchstoneVulgar and rude, Touchstone ridicules everyone around him as the clown he is. He is the source of many innuendo jokes in the play. Russell Brand is a goofy individual, and I cannot think of anyone better than him to play the part of Touchstone.

Jesse Eisenberg as OliverOliver lives to make his brother Orlando miserable, but after he is saved by the person he hates so much, his attitude changes for the better. Jesse Eisenberg can wear both of these “faces”, and he looks quite a bit like Michael Cera, as a bonus to his casting.

As You Like It is not a play that can be easily described by a single spine or theme.

For this reason, I will attempt to choose the best description for both Spine: The play follows the spine of “Finding true love”, the play culminates with the

characters finding true love. Rosalind with Orlando, Celia with Oliver, Phoebe and Silvius, Touchstone and Audrey ultimately end up paired together throughout the play.

Theme: While the spine focuses more on love, I believe the theme of the play is actually one of change, and how people are able to change for the better. This is seen when Oliver is saved by Orlando in the forest, and when Duke Frederick gives back the crown and joins the monastery after meeting the religious man. What I find most interesting is that the change in the play did not happen over a period of time, it happens instantaneously.

As the director, the spine and theme identifies above should be the main focus. As such, actors should be informed and scenes must be established in ways that emphasize both the theme and spine. Examples of usage of set elements to achieve this include focusing lights on a couple embracing, changing wardrobes for redeemed characters (Duke Frederick might wear black attire in the beginning, but switch to brighter or more pure colors such as white by the end of the play).

Spine and Theme of the play