Press Release

Press Contact:
Marla Burkholder
267-240-0596
press@shakespeareinclarkpark.org

July 10, 2007

FREE FUN IN THE FOREST OF ARDEN

SHAKESPEARE IN CLARK PARK PRESENTS

AS YOU LIKE IT

PHILADELPHIA, PA – All of Clark Park is a stage this summer, as Shakespeare in Clark Park returns for a third year of free outdoor theatre in one of Philadelphia's most beautiful parks. The pastoral comedy As You Like It will run July 30-August 3 at 7:00 pm in West Philadelphia's Clark Park and is directed by Shakespeare in Clark Park’s co-artistic director, Maria Möller.

Banished from court by her evil uncle, Rosalind escapes from the dangerous confines of “civilized” life and runs away to the Forest of Arden, where she and her companions are free to explore the whimsical and powerful nature of love and desire.

“Our production imagines a ‘reforested’ Clark Park, set in the moment before 1895, when the park was established by the City of Philadelphia,” says director Maria Möller. “Like an urban park, the Forest of Arden is a liminal place, straddling wilderness and society. It’s a place where one’s usual mask can be discarded and a new one tried on for size.

Being a romantic comedy, the mask that most of the characters try on is that of the lover, and each in their own way discovers how they will sustain their new understanding of love once they no longer have the protection of the forest. One of the most powerful beauties of As You Like It is that it is not just funny and romantic: it’s also a down-to-earth tutorial on how to love in the real world.”

Up-and-coming Philadelphia actress Kristyn Chouinere takes on the role of Rosalind, Shakespeare’s most captivating heroine, with Felicia Leicht as her devoted cousin Celia and Mike Dees as their lusty clown Touchstone. The production also features Ted Powell as Rosalind’s poetic lover Orlando, Justin Jain as the long-suffering Silvius, and Jess Conda as Phebe, his reluctant object of affection. Philadelphia newcomer Christopher Bohan plays the melancholy Jaques and the talents of Robert DaPonte, Ethan Lipkin, Robert Bauer, George Reilly, and Sara Wolff round out the cast.

As You Like It features a set that blends real trees with artifical ones created by designer Dirk Durossette, and original music by Andrew Nelson (of the Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret), composed in the popular song tradition of the 1890s.

Shakespeare in Clark Park is committed to producing free, outdoor summer theatre in Clark Park, a vibrant green space that is the cornerstone of a diverse community. While engaging the community and expanding Philadelphia’s summertime cultural scene, Shakespeare in Clark Park re-imagines the world of the park through the works of Shakespeare.

The University City District and Zipcar have generously provided sponsorship support for As You Like It.