Welcome to the world of As She Likes It. Or rather, welcome to the worlds of Padua, Troy, Elsinore, Britain, London, and Verona. These worlds may look different to you than the last time you visited them.
We've been transported to a place where we see the loves and fights and fears and joys of Shakespeare's female characters from a different perspective. In "The Shrew Must Go On," Katherine joins us in the modern age to lend her tempestuousness and fire to a timid high-school actor. In "A Woman's Battle," we peek inside the palace of Troy to witness the private fight of Troy's women as the Trojan War rages on around them. In "Another Conversation," we see a very different version of Ophelia confronting Gertrude about her actions and their fatal consequences.
In "The Lear Sisters," we witness what the fight among the three sisters looks like in the modern context of an ailing father in the hospital. In "Haircuts," Anne Boleyn attempts to counsel Isabella about the dangers of trusting men with your heart, which is a lesson she's about to learn the hard way. And finally in "The Nurse's Rebellion," Juliet's Nurse confronts the Bard himself about the tragedy he's weaving for her beloved charge.
In each of these short scenes, Shakespeare's women take on new agency, speaking thoughts they didn't get words for in their original plays. One of my main motivations for creating theater is to harness the opportunity to shine a light on women's stories. These Shakespearean women in particular have passions and challenges to share, and I'm so grateful for the work this cast has done to give voice to them.
So come hop through these worlds with us! We hope that these scenes will inspire you to think of stories that you know that might have a different perspective to explore.
Krisha Hoyt-Mackler
Director, As She Likes It
she/her/hers
