Post Gazette: Valentine's Day has come early to the Cultural District with a charming amatory confection, "As You Like It." Whatever Shakespeare meant by that enigmatic title, on this occasion it works: Ted Pappas' Public Theater show should prove to be just how the audience likes it, indeed. Why not? We need cheering up in this midwinter, with assessments akimbo, potholes looming and the Steelers having fallen short of the Super Bowl. Spring seems a long way off, so why not enjoy a sojourn in the edenic Forest of Arden?
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Sunny staging brightens Pittsburgh Public's 'As You Like It'
Post Gazette: Valentine's Day has come early to the Cultural District with a charming amatory confection, "As You Like It." Whatever Shakespeare meant by that enigmatic title, on this occasion it works: Ted Pappas' Public Theater show should prove to be just how the audience likes it, indeed. Why not? We need cheering up in this midwinter, with assessments akimbo, potholes looming and the Steelers having fallen short of the Super Bowl. Spring seems a long way off, so why not enjoy a sojourn in the edenic Forest of Arden?
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3 comments:
I love the fact that this production cut the script to bring the show in under 2 1/2 hours. Also the fact that the director decided to leave out the dark complexity and bring a lighthearted version to the stage seems like a smart marketing to me. Only a handful of people wants to see a dark comedy that is 3 hours long in February. This seems like a good choice for the season and it seems to be directed by someone who is in tune with the market he is trying to sell to.
Just from seeing the photo of one scene in the show, I know that this is going to be a more magical and fantastical show. The colors are so dreamy and beautiful although I wish that there was a dark contrast. I think that trying to twist in the darker elements would be fascinating and bring the story it's important dimension. The decision to make it light hearted is good and well but it can sometimes turn a little dry and boring. There are many instances in the past where even a story that starts out being light is turned into something a little darker, even though that wasn't the original intention. So maybe something to consider next time.
The decision to switch the show to a light-hearted and trimmed down version of the original is interesting. It sort of is the music parallel of a radio edit. I like this choice because it gives an alternative option for a different audience to see the show. I agree with Luke that the author seems to be "in tune with the market he is selling," but I wonder what artistic intentions the director has in mind for the tone shift.
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