A Classic Shakespearean Comedy Essay

The Chicago Shakespeargon family at dark blue Pier manages to compound an extravagant and lavish, while at the same time noneffervescent unfeignedly intimate, theatre set with sea captain acting performances in every knocked out(p)turn shown. However, the proceeds of As You like on March 5, 2011 perhaps lift out exemplifies these signifi dealt qualities crucial to Shakespe be gos. Directed by, Gary Griffin, the turnout is sufficient to captivate the inherent audience for the complete duration of the play through with(predicate) its burnished model of spectacle as well as strong narration.However, the close to signifi burnt f musician out of the fruit would undeniably be its inclusion of an alliance of narrative, dramatic, and spectacle elements all intertwined in the overall work. Griffin depicts a traditional Shakespearian comedy with the part of realistic set design and perfect actor selection in the business of As You Like It in a way that separates th e comedic production from any other previous Shakespe be play I have seen. The production does so by being able to masterfully combine Shakespearian comedic elements with deeper connotations about self-identity and the power of love crucial to all productions of As You Like It.The thematic elements prevalent throughout the production atomic number 18 contemporary in regards to all Shakespearean comedies in that the play revolves around mistaken identity, the many forms of love, and the resolutions of all mis perceptivenesss in the end of the play. However, the way in which Griffins overall production is able to enthrall the audience through brilliant acting, audience inclusion, and beautiful theatre design in such a way that the audience isnt forced to exert much own(prenominal) visual modality makes As You Like It a classic example of an sublime Shakespearean production.The Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, the producing theatre for director Gary Griffins modification of As You Lik e It, is a master copy theatre venue and ships company located on 800 East Grand Avenue in Navy Pier. The theatre is ornately designed with the intent to transform the audiences connotation of setting and to make them believe/ give the appearance that they are in an actual Shakespearean Theatre without the commit of their imagination. The theatre plaza used for the production of As You Like It is called Jentes Family Auditorium and features a total of 510 seat on three levels surrounding the courtyard theatres thrust re vex.This specific theatre was modeled/ designed with inspiration advent directly from the Royal Shakespeare Companys Swan Theatre, evident at first glance, and thus creates an immediate intimate relationship between the actors, stupefy/ set design, and the good audience seated around the three sides of the stage. turn part of the set is elevated as a stage, the entire area/ space of the theatre is used by the actors throughout the production when this is i ncorporated with the fact that no seat is more than thirty feet from the stage, a feeling of intimacy between actors and audience is ever-present.For instance, the audience is engaged into the execution of the play immediately by the way in which the stage extends through the middle of the first-floor seating allowing the appearance/ feeling of the actors walking directly out into the middle of the audience members. In an analysis of the overall production of As You Like It it is evident that even though the set, stage, and use of props and vivid images are riveting, the inclusion of an all-star ensemble of some of Chicagos finest actors is truly the underlying nature in exemplifying the statement that the production is thusly Shakespeares glorious romantic comedy.The actors play courtiers, clowns, philosophers, and locals all who are under the classic comedic spell of the trials and conquests of love as the main reference, Rosalind, mustiness disguise herself as a boy in order to natural spring the royal court. The characters, following Rosalinds lead, venture into the timeless Forest of Arden where Rosalind finds herself detain by love and mistaken identity in her attempt to see the man she loves how to win the women of his dreams.A traditional element present in the production of Shakespearean comedies such as As You Like It, is undeniably the inclusion of both a dominant and a secondary study female characters. The significance of the secondary female lead is often decided by the skill of the actress portraying that role. The actress can make the character bet somewhat mysterious and forgettable, as seen by the DePaul students line drawing of Hero in Much Ado About Nothing, or she can appear as significant and mesmerizing as the lead female. In Griffins production of As You Like It this notion of the immensity of ctor/ character portrayals is illuminated.For instance, one of the most memorable characters in the entire play is Cecilia, the secon dary female character played by Chaon Cross. Cross is able to depict the comedic character almost perfectly through well-rounded acting and clear knowledge of Shakespearean language. In Cecilias character, Cross symbolizes a playful, charming, immensely loyal, witty and charismatic supporting female role. This is apparent in her juxtaposition of speech and comedic body language. Crucial plot and thematic elements of As You Like It are depicted by the actors as well.For instance, the review on human life illustrated by the character Jaques, played by Ross Lehman in this production, is witnessed inLehmans acting skills in his performance as Jaques. He emphasizes the faults and ambitions of life in a funny and touching manner by offering both comedic and emotional moments for the audience throughout the play. There are many other characters in the production that portrayed memorable performances lighten the underlying themes and comedic elements present in the correct use/ knowledge o f Shakespearean language and acting.These actors included Kate Fry as Rosalind, Matt Schwader as Orlando, Dennis Kelly as Adam, Phillip James Brannon as Touchstone, Matt DeCaro as Duke Frederick, Kevin Gudahl as Duke Senior, and Elizabeth Ledo as Phoebe. separately character possesses unique and intricately detailed costumes and character traits crucial to the understanding of the overall production. The costumes are vivid with detail and evoke the use of imagination and feeling that the audience is witnessing the action of the play within actual setting of certain scenes (whether the orchard, royal court, or forest).The differences in characters personality, social class, and hierarchy on board other characteristic elements are illuminated through the costumes intricate becharm and detail juxtaposed with a more simplistic but still vibrant use of props and set. In addition to individual actor performances, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatres production of As You Like It signifies th e range of Shakespeares glorious romantic comedy through the use of a unique/ one of a kind setting. The set designs present are an attractive and ubstantial visual supplement to the action taking place on stage at every point throughout the progress of the play.This can be perceived in almost every scene of the production but is most notably present in the opening scene, portraying a lush/ vivid apple orchard with minimalistic use of props, as well as the more luxurious forest setting that accompanies it. The view presented by lighting, drop dead, props hanging from the ceiling, and the perception of depth in the stage prominently adds to the attraction and understanding of the production.The lighting and music of the production present in set/ scene changes enhances the plot developments as well as the overall journey and adventure portrayed in the plays narrative nature. The set design of various different scenes is thus all told believable and enchanting employing the audie nces complete inclusion into the fanciful world of the production. Alongside the appearance of setting in the various scenes, the intricately detailed costumes are exquisite and add a visually appeal horizon to the performances of the actors.At the same time, the creativity and uniqueness of each characters costume mandates the audiences teleportation from the feeling of watching a traditional play to the feeling that they are in fact present in this magical/ timeless world of As You Like It. Overall, As You Like It, a production shown by the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, is a professional and glamorous portrayal of traditional/ contemporary Shakespearean comedy. Every aspect of the theatre and production is employed into the narrative element of the play which makes this variation of As You Like It unlike any other theatre experience.For instance, the work theatre space is perfect for setting the mood of seeing a professional Shakespearean production and the way in which the st age is the sum of money of vision no matter where you sit in the audience allows sound to travel in a surreal, surround sound manner just enhances this feeling. The actors use/ knowledge of Shakespearean language in conjunction with their use of space (entire theatre used as stage while most of the action is mere inches away from the first row of audience members) makes the production flow well while at the same time enhancing the professional feel of the production as well.In this professional nature of the production nearly every aspect and element of Shakespearean comedy is exemplified. with Gary Griffins production of As You Like It, the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre is able to directly exemplify the notion of ideal Shakespearean plays and wherefore these plays still remain so popular and relevant in our parliamentary law today even four hundred years later.