As You Like It: Did We Like It?

Upon entering the Stambaugh Theatre, we were greeted with dim, warm lighting and were surrounded by vines. They wrapped up and around the rails next to the seats within the theatre. In the middle, there was a checkered platform that had steps leading up to it, which looked like either stone or wood, depending on where the viewer was looking. Above it all was a beautiful crystal chandelier. 

While all of this is certainly dazzling, I wasn’t sure how much I would like this play. Personally, I’m not a fan of Shakespeare. He’s not my go-to guy for literature. His work is highly famous, yet frequently disappointing and predictable. Admittedly, though, perhaps that’s because he pioneered a lot of tropes we see in books and movies today, such as: forbidden love, dramatic quests, cross-dressing – you know, the usual! With that in mind, I guess it could be said that this was the least excited for this play compared to the others I saw (big fan of the theatre department, I promise!). 

I can confidently say that I left the theatre WIDELY impressed by the actors. I know the despair I feel merely reading Shakespeare; the individuals on stage had it memorized! Line by line, everyone delivered their lines without skipping a beat. All the while, they were still portraying the emotion of their character within a scene. The memorization, emotion, and rehearsal that went into the performance were vividly apparent. Gavin Hull, the actor who played Orlando, was the first individual whose talent stood out to me. From there, the entire cast continued to stun me line by line. 

The theatre department knows how to do drama, and we watched that unfold from start to finish. The actors within this play react to the background music that would occur during scenes. At first, this really threw me off. This play had a bit whereupon the name “Charles” being spoken, a murderous cult-classic type of instrumental would play in the background. I initially thought that the actor, Matthew Cook, broke character. Turns out, he actually just was pretending to be confused so well that I was genuinely convinced that it was his first time hearing them do that sound effect. 

At some point, there was a really awesome drop-down of these fairy lights that had playing cards within them. No notes on that, 10/10 execution. It added to the already delightful experience of the audience. 

The two female leads, Makayla Brown and Fiona Burau, or Rosalind and Celia accordingly, were a stunning duo to watch perform. Their charm and character made their presence on stage captivating. From their costumes to their cadence, they gave an engaging and memorable performance. The performance would have lacked significant emotional depth and relatability had these two not been cast. 

Similarly, the (unfortunate?) duo of Silvius and Phebe, Jackson Bird and Kayleigh Jarkowsky respectively, was one that I couldn’t keep my eyes off of. Similar to that of a train wreck, it gave me great joy to watch the unrequited pining of a man on stage. Jarkowsky’s quick wit and annoyance of it all was both humorous and captivating. Any time these characters were present on stage together, whether it be in the background or front and center, my attention gravitated to them. Their unique dynamic was well-executed and did not even come close to being as overdone as that trope can be. 

Yet, in everything, there is a favorite. Within this play, there was a composition of music that combined the medieval Shakespearean vibes with modern classics. On multiple occasions, this was done through the utilization of a quartet of Lords. Cameron Geoffrion, Marlie Dietz, Lenore McBean, and Lindsay Lydy were the fundamental voices of this play. They, both literally and figuratively, helped move the story along through the use of music during the setup of the upcoming scene. These individuals have voices that I could frankly listen to all day long. It was powerful, yet controlled. Emotional, yet sensitive. Most notably, however, was how effortless they made it look. In these moments, I felt like I wasn’t just seeing their characters, but their passion. While simultaneously becoming their character, it also allowed me to see them. All four of them delivered both vocally and instrumentally each time they took stage. Bravo! 

The play ends with the whole cast singing Elvis Presley’s “I Can’t Help Falling in Love” (probably canon to what Shakespeare wrote honestly). Wow, what a moment! It felt like watching the bloopers of a movie reel. Not because anyone messed up, but you could see how intertwined these people, whether they were in character or not, are in each other’s lives. Every character got their happy ending! What more can a theatre-goer ask for?? 

Overall, this play was extremely well done. From the set, the music, the acting, all of it made me enjoy Shakespeare for the first time ever! The 2025 ONU production of “As You Like It” was certainly one for the books, and I cannot wait to continue to watch these individuals take the stage for future performances!

Walking into the Stambaugh Theater to see the Shakespearean play “As You Like It”, I honestly was not sure what to expect. Arriving at our seats, I was immediately impressed by the decor around the seats and the stage set-up. These small details really added to the overall experience for the audience, and I felt immersed in the play right away. 

The play started, and I cannot express how incredibly talented these actors were right off the bat. They made speaking in Shakespearean language look like they were speaking in their native tongue! It flowed so effortlessly and as if they had been practicing it their entire lives. Beyond this, the actors were also so convincing in every action that they pursued. In particular, Adam’s limp, portrayed by Aidan Holdsworth, had me actually convinced that this actor had an issue with their leg, but I knew that couldn’t be true because we have a 9 am Ancient Philosophy class together every Tuesday and Thursday, and he struts into that class just fine! Further, I must say that the special sound effects at first threw me off, but after I understood their meaning and purpose within the context of the play a bit more, they were quite humorous and really added a special touch to the entire operation. 

One scene that I would like to highlight in particular is the fighting scene between Orlando, played by Gavin Hull, and Charles, played by Sara Moore. This altercation was somehow both extremely realistic and hilarious at the same time! The moves flowed gracefully, and I could tell that it must have taken hours of practice to get just right. I found myself cheering and gasping with each new turn. When Charles turned and spat out fake teeth, my jaw genuinely dropped to the ground. How incredible! I’ve never seen a fight scene pulled off so well in a play! 

In general, I also loved the audience interaction. Given that this play was presented in the Stambaught Theater, where the stage is surrounded by the audience seats on all sides, there was an incredible opportunity to make the audience feel like they are right smack dab in the play themselves. This opportunity was taken at any given chance by the cast, and I truly felt completely immersed in the play. I typically am guilty of getting bored during plays and movies, but not this time! I felt so invested in this story, and I couldn’t make myself look away if I tried! 

I want to specifically give my compliments to Orlando, the male lead of this play. He was simply phenomenal. The acting, the singing, the dancing, the fighting, the speaking in Shakespearean tongues, I was blown away every single time that kid was on stage. When Orlando makes it to the big time, I’m glad I’ll be able to say I saw him in action while he was still in college! 

Also, the color coordination and all around the entire costume department was AMAZING! The costumes brought this show to life, and I loved the intensive focus on color schemes and the recurring theme of embroidered flowers on everyone’s costumes. I could tell that somebody put a lot of time and effort into making these characters look top-notch, and that certainly did not go unnoticed by me! 

All in all, I could go on and on about all of the things I loved about this play. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I was shocked, I was in love, I was so obsessed with every detail about everything! This is the BEST play I have ever seen, and I cannot believe that I almost skipped this play because I thought Shakespeare was boring! I was severely WRONG. 

In one of the final scenes of the entire play, the entire cast came out and sang “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” This did something for my soul, man. I felt this in my heart. Just wow. Anyone who missed out on this missed out on something truly, deeply special. I think about this moment sometimes, and I am filled with warmth and happy thoughts. What a wonderful way to wrap up an amazing play!