As You Like It Enrichment Guide

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AS YOU LIKE IT ENRICHMENT GUIDE

Adapted and Directed by DARYL CLORAN

Conceived by DARYL CLORAN and Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

In Association with Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Theatre Etiquette Page 2 Who’s Involved Page 3 Director’s Note Page 4 About the Creators Page 4 Characters Page 6 Synopsis Page 6 Production Elements Page 7 Themes Page 9 Curriculum Alignment Page 11 References Page 12

THEATRE ETIQUETTE

Going to the theatre is an engaging and interactive experience. We want you to be an active participant when you see our shows; laugh when it’s funny, cry when it’s sad, gasp when it’s shocking, and enjoy the experience as much as possible. But we want you to do this in the most respectful way possible, for both the performers and your fellow audience members.

To ensure the most positive experience, please review the following information prior to arriving at the theatre.

Not Allowed in the Theatre:

• No outside food or beverages. Only beverages purchased in the lobby and placed in a Citadel Sippy and bottled water will be allowed in the theatre. Unwrapped ice cream bars may be taken into the theatre. Please enjoy all other snacks in the lobby. • Cameras and other recording devices (please note that taking photographs or other recordings in the theatre are strictly prohibited by law).

Basic Courtesy:

• Turn OFF and put away all electronic devices such as cell phones, iPods, video game systems, etc. prior to entering the theatre. • Do not place your feet on the seat in front of you. • The actors onstage can see and hear the audience during the performance – it is important that audience members not talk, move around, or fidget during the performance, as this can be distracting for the actors, as well as fellow audience members. • There is no dress code at the Citadel Theatre, but we respectfully request that patrons refrain from wearing hats in the theatre. • For the safety of those with allergies, please refrain from using perfumes or scented products before coming to the theatre. • Do not place backpacks or other bags in the aisle in front of your feet, as this may impair the ability of persons to exit the row in an emergency.

Inappropriate Behaviour:

Citadel Theatre representatives watch carefully during performances for inappropriate behaviour, especially behaviour that could endanger an actor or audience member. Inappropriate behaviour includes, but is not limited to:

• Talking in the audience • The use of laser pointers or other light or sound-emitting devices • Interfering with an actor or the performance (tripping, throwing items on or near the stage, etc.) • Audience members identified as engaging in this type of behaviour will be removed from the theatre during the performance or at intermission

WHO’S INVOLVED

CAST LINDSEY ANGELL Rosalind BENJAMIN CAMENZULI Forest Lord/2nd Brother SARAH CONSTIBLE Jaques/Le Beau SHARON CRANDALL Corin/Duke’s Attendant EMILY DALLAS Phoebe OSCAR DERKX Forest Lord/William/Hymen AUSTIN ECKERT Charles the Wrestler/Amiens PAUL ESSIEMBRE Duke Senior/Duke Frederick JEFF IRVING Orlando KAYVON KHOSHKAM Touchstone JENNY McKILLOP Audrey JAMEELA McNEIL Celia ROBB PATERSON Adam/Sir Oliver Martext JUSTIN STADNYK Oliver/Forest Lord FARREN TIMOTEO Silvius

MUSICIANS BENJAMIN CAMENZULI Drums, Guitar, Bass Guitar SHARON CRANDALL Piano EMILY DALLAS Piano OSCAR DERKX Guitar AUSTIN ECKERT Bass Guitar, Guitar PAUL ESSIEMBRE Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drums KAYVON KHOSHKAM Harmonica ROBB PATERSON Bass Guitar JUSTIN STADNYK Piano, Trombone, Trumpet

CREATIVE TEAM Director DARYL CLORAN Music Director BEN ELLIOTT Choreographer/Fight Director JONATHAN HAWLEY PURVIS Set Designer PAM JOHNSON Costume Designer CARMEN ALATORRE Lighting Designer GERALD KING Sound Designer PETER McBOYLE Stage Manager WAYNE PAQUETTE Assistant Stage Manager LESLIE WATSON Apprentice Stage Manager ISABEL BERGQUIST Assistant Director KAYVON KHOSHKAM Assistant Set Designer KSENIA BRODA-MILIAN Assistant Lighting Designer EVAN WOHLGEMUT Fight Captain PAUL ESSIEMBRE Music Captain JUSTIN STADNYK Dance Captain SHARON CRANDALL Creative Consultant RICK BOYNTON Clearance & Music Consulting JOHN CICCONE, Copyright Music & Visuals

DIRECTOR’S NOTE I have set this production of As You Like It right here – in Bard’s own backyard. It’s the 1960s, and we’re in Kitsilano - home of Vancouver’s counter-culture. We start at a wrestling match, much like Vancouver’s All-Star Wrestling of the 1960s, and then our lovers escape to the Okanagan (which, for Shakespeare purists, scans the same as “For’st of Arden”!), just like many freethinkers of the ‘60s escaped Vancouver to get “back to the land” in the interior of B.C.

As You Like It is a love story. Love in its many forms. From youthful romantic love, to the love of a father and a daughter, to the belief that to get what we want in life, truly, all we need to do is love and respect each other - a belief that resonated as much in Shakespeare’s time as it did in the sixties – and as it does today.

We are telling this story with “a little help from our friends”, the Beatles. The Fab Four’s songs fit perfectly into this story. The challenge for me was not how to include the songs; it was how to narrow down our choices! There are twenty-five Beatles songs in this production. Needless to say, I have cut A LOT of Shakespeare’s text to make room for the songs. The Bard’s story comes alive through song, as the characters find themselves in the woods where emotions can no longer be contained by words alone. Orlando’s love letters become love songs. Amiens and the Lords sing as they refine their philosophy about life and love.

Even the evolution of the Beatles’ song writing is perfect for the story arc of As You Like It. The early Beatles songs are naïve and youthful, which is where the young lovers start when they run to the forest. But as we meet the thinkers in the forest and life becomes more complicated, we are able to transition into the Beatles’ later more spiritual and philosophical song writing, exploring the notion that change is possible if we all find a way to love each other.

Shakespeare, Vancouver, the 1960s, and The Beatles are a perfect combination. I’m so glad you have joined us for this adventure into the forest. I hope by the end of the play we will send you out of the tent with a song in your heart and a belief in our shared humanity.

- Daryl Cloran

Link to Daryl Cloran speaking about As You Like It to the Vancouver Sun before it ran at the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival in 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kaln3A_A5sg ABOUT THE CREATORS

Playwright: William Shakespeare

An English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet, and the "Bard of Avon.” His extant works, including collaborations, consist of some 39 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith. Sometime between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. At age 49 (around 1613), he appears to have retired to Stratford, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive; this has stimulated considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, his sexuality, his religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others. Such theories are often criticised for failing to adequately note that few records survive of most commoners of the period.

Shakespeare produced most of his known works between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories and are regarded as some of the best work produced in these genres. Until about 1608, he wrote mainly tragedies, among them Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, all considered to be among the finest works in the English language. In the last phase of his life, he wrote tragicomedies (also known as romances) and collaborated with other playwrights.

Adapted by Daryl Cloran

Prior to helming Western Canada Theatre, Cloran was the Founding Artistic Director of Theatrefront, an independent Toronto theatre company where he directed: The Mill (four Dora Awards, winning one for Outstanding Production); forward (2 Dora nominations); the critically acclaimed Our Country's Good (2 Dora nominations); Swimming in the Shallows; The Underpants; Mojo; Sweet Phoebe; and I Might Be Edgar Allan Poe. Most notable of Cloran's work with Theatrefront are the international collaborations, Return (The Sarajevo Project) and Ubuntu (The Cape Town Project). The critically acclaimed Return (The Sarajevo Project) was created and produced in Bosnia and Toronto by a company of Bosnian and Canadian artists. It garnered five Dora nominations and was published by Playwrights Press Canada. Ubuntu (The Cape Town Project) was collectively created by Daryl Cloran and an ensemble of Canadian and South African artists. It is a bilingual work combining physical and text-based theatre. It was also published by Playwrights Canada Press. Developed in Toronto and Cape Town, it was produced in South Africa, Halifax, western Canada, and Toronto.

Daryl Cloran has directed at theatres across Canada and internationally, including: Love's Labour's Lost (Bard on the Beach) which he adapted to critical and audience acclaim; Liberation Days (Theatre Calgary, which garnered seven Betty Mitchell Award nominations under his direction); the Canadian premiere of Peter and the Starcatcher (Western Canada Theatre); the world premiere of And All For Love (National Arts Centre); the world premiere of Michael Healey's Generous (Tarragon Theatre); Afterplay (Shaw Festival); The Last Five Years (Canadian Stage and Manitoba Theatre Centre - four Dora Nominations); Educating Rita (Theatre Aquarius); This is How it Goes (Neptune Theatre); A New Brain (Acting Upstage - four Dora Nominations, including for Best Director); Helen's Necklace (Grand Theatre, London); and The Play About The Baby (Soulpepper Theatre Company).

Daryl Cloran’s first regional artistic directorship was with Theatre and Company in Kitchener-Waterloo. Next, Daryl took on the role of New Play Development Coordinator at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival where he also worked as assistant director to Artistic Director Des McAnuff. He was invited back for a second season before being offered and accepting the job as Artistic Director at Western Canada Theatre. In those two seasons, he assisted on Caesar and Cleopatra and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He is currently the Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre.

Conceived by Daryl Cloran and the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival (Vancouver)

Celebrating its 31st Season in 2020, Bard on the Beach is Western Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare Festival. Presented in a magnificent setting on the waterfront in Vancouver’s Vanier Park, the Festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas, and several special events in two performance tents from June through September.

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival was established in 1990 with a mandate to provide Vancouver residents and tourists with affordable, accessible Shakespearean productions of the finest quality. The Festival began as an Equity Co-op, funded primarily by a Canada Council Explorations grant awarded to Artistic Director and Founder Christopher Gaze. A fully professional, not-for-profit theatre company, Bard on the Beach now engages thirty actors each season as well as a team of exceptional directors, designers, and technicians; it is also supported by more than 250 volunteers. The productions consistently receive both critical and audience acclaim, and repeatedly play to sold-out houses.

CHARACTERS

Court of Duke Frederick:

• Duke Frederick: Duke Senior's younger brother and his usurper, also Celia's father • Rosalind: Duke Senior's daughter • Celia: Duke Frederick's daughter and Rosalind's cousin • Touchstone: A court fool or jester • Le Beau: A courtier • Charles: A wrestler • Lords and Ladies in Duke Frederick's Court

Household of the Deceased Sir Rowland de Boys:

• Oliver de Boys: The eldest son and heir • Jacques de Boys: The second son • Orlando de Boys: The youngest son • Adam: A faithful old servant who follows Orlando into exile • Dennis: Oliver's servant who called Charles

Exiled court of Duke Senior in the Forest of Arden*:

• Duke Senior: Duke Frederick's older brother and Rosalind's father • Jaques: A discontented, melancholic lord • Amiens: An attending lord and musician • Lords in Duke Senior's forest court

Country Folk in the Forest of Arden*:

• Phebe: A proud shepherdess • Silvius: A shepherd • Audrey: A country girl • Corin: An elderly shepherd • William: A country man • Sir Oliver Martext: A curate

* (The Forest of Arden is changed to the Okanagan Valley in this adaptation)

SYNOPSIS

Shakespeare originally set his work in a duchy in France, with most of the action taking place in a location called the Forest of Arden. In this adaptation, it is set in Kitsilano - home of Vancouver’s counter-culture, in the 1960s. Instead of the Forest of Arden, characters spend time in the Canadian Okanagan.

Frederick has usurped Kitsilano, and exiled his older brother, Duke Senior. Duke Senior's daughter, Rosalind, has been permitted to remain at court because she is the closest friend and cousin of Frederick's only child, Celia. Orlando, a young gentleman of the kingdom who at first sight has fallen in love with Rosalind, is forced to flee his home after being persecuted by his older brother, Oliver. Frederick becomes angry and banishes Rosalind from court. Celia and Rosalind decide to flee together accompanied by the court fool, Touchstone, with Rosalind disguised as a young man and Celia disguised as a poor lady.

Rosalind, now disguised as Ganymede ("Jove's own page"), and Celia, now disguised as Aliena (Latin for "stranger"), arrive in the Okanagan, where the exiled Duke now lives with some supporters, including "the melancholy Jaques", a malcontent figure, who is introduced weeping over the slaughter of a deer. "Ganymede" and "Aliena" do not immediately 6

encounter the Duke and his companions. Instead, they meet Corin, an impoverished tenant, and offer to buy his master's crude cottage.

Orlando and his servant Adam, meanwhile, find the Duke and his men and are soon living with them and posting simplistic love poems for Rosalind on the trees. Rosalind, also in love with Orlando, meets him as Ganymede and pretends to counsel him to cure him of being in love. Ganymede says that "he" will take Rosalind's place and that "he" and Orlando can act out their relationship.

The shepherdess, Phebe, with whom Silvius is in love, has fallen in love with Ganymede (Rosalind in disguise), though "Ganymede" continually shows that "he" is not interested in Phebe. Touchstone, meanwhile, has fallen in love with the dull-witted shepherdess, Audrey, and tries to woo her, but eventually is forced to be married first. William, another shepherd, attempts to marry Audrey as well, but is stopped by Touchstone, who threatens to kill him "a hundred and fifty ways."

Finally, Silvius, Phebe, Ganymede, and Orlando are brought together in an argument with each other over who will get to marry who. Ganymede says he will solve the problem, having Orlando promise to marry Rosalind, and Phebe promise to marry Silvius if she cannot marry Ganymede.

Orlando sees Oliver in the forest and rescues him from a lioness, causing Oliver to repent for mistreating Orlando. Oliver meets Aliena (Celia's false identity) and falls in love with her, and they agree to marry. Orlando and Rosalind, Oliver and Celia, Silvius and Phebe, and Touchstone and Audrey all are married in the final scene, after which they discover that Frederick also has repented his faults, deciding to restore his legitimate brother to the dukedom and adopt a religious life. Jaques, ever melancholic, declines their invitation to return to the court, preferring to stay in the forest and to adopt a religious life as well. Rosalind speaks an epilogue to the audience, commending the play to both men and women in the audience.

PRODUCTION ELEMENTS

PROSCENIUM STAGE

A proscenium theatre is a specific style of theatre. Several features define a proscenium theatre, and this particular theatre layout is extremely common; if you have ever been to see a live performance, especially in a high school auditorium, chances are high that you have seen a proscenium theatre. In addition to proscenium style theatres, it is also possible to find black box theatres, theatres with thrust stages, theatres in the round, and numerous other configurations of stage and audience.

The classically defining feature of a proscenium theatre is the proscenium arch, which frames the stage for the audience. In addition, the audience faces the stage directly, with no audience on the sides of the stage, and the stage in a proscenium theatre is typically raised, allowing the audience to see more clearly. Modern proscenium theatres sometimes lack the proscenium arch, but they are still called “proscenium theatres” because they retain the other characteristics of this style of theatre.

Proscenium theatres originated in the 1600s, and became immensely popular by the 1700s. There are certain advantages of a proscenium theatre, such as the fact that the stage doesn't have to be as open, allowing people to conceal props, sets, and orchestras in the wings or near the stage without having these things visible to the audience. A proscenium theatre also creates a sense of staged grandeur, with the proscenium arch acting almost like a picture frame, giving the audience the sense that they are looking into a scene.

MUSIC BY THE BEATLES

An English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. With a line-up comprising John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they are regarded as the most influential band of all time. The group were integral to the evolution of pop music into an art form, and to the development of the counterculture of the 1960s. Their sound was rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, but they incorporated elements of classical music, traditional pop, and used unconventional and innovative recording techniques. In later years they experimented with a number of musical styles, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As they continued to draw influences from a variety of cultural sources, their musical and lyrical sophistication grew, and they came to be seen as embodying the era's socio-cultural movements.

Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over a three-year period from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, who had been together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, including Pete Best, before asking Starr to join them in 1962. Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act, and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin and other members of the band's entourage sometimes given the informal title of "fifth Beatle".

The Beatles were international stars by early 1964, leading the "British Invasion" of the United States pop market and breaking numerous sales records. They soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). From 1965 onwards, they produced increasingly innovative recordings, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as the "White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all four members enjoyed success as solo artists. Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.

The Beatles are the best-selling band in history, with estimated sales of over 800 million albums worldwide. They are the best-selling music artists in the US, with certified sales of over 178 million units, and have had more number-one albums on the British charts, and have sold more singles in the UK, than any other act. The group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main members were inducted individually between 1994 and 2015. In 2008, the group topped Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful artists; as of 2019, the Beatles hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with twenty. The band have received seven Grammy Awards, an Academy Award (for Best Original Song Score for the 1970 film Let It Be) and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards. They were also collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the twentieth century's 100 most influential people.

Check out the Spotify Playlist that includes all 25 Beatles songs featured in our production of As You Like It: https://bardonthebeach.org/news/2018/as-you-like-it-beatles-spotify-playlist/

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING

Professional wrestling (often shortened to pro wrestling or simply wrestling) is a form of performance art and entertainment that combines athletics with theatrical performance. It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title-match combat sport. The unique form of sport portrayed is fundamentally based on – and evolved from – classical and "catch" wrestling, with modern additions of striking attacks, strength-based holds and throws and acrobatic maneuvers. Much of these derive from the influence of various international martial arts. An additional aspect of combat with improvised weaponry is sometimes included.

The matches have predetermined outcomes to heighten entertainment value and all combative maneuvers are executed with the full cooperation of those involved and carefully performed in specific manners intended to lessen the chance of actual injury. These facts were once kept highly secret but are now a widely accepted open secret. To promote and sustain the willing suspension of disbelief by maintaining an aura of verisimilitude, the performing company avoids discussing the true nature of the performance in official media. Fan communications by individual wrestlers and promotions through outside media (i.e., interviews) often directly acknowledge the dramatic and "fixed" nature of the spectacle

Professional wrestling shows can be considered a form of theater in the round, with the ring, ringside area, and entryway comprising a stage. However, there is a much more limited concept of a fourth wall than in most theatrical performances, similar to pantomime involving audience participation. The audience is recognized and acknowledged by the performers as spectators to the sporting event being portrayed, and are encouraged to interact as such. This leads to a high level of audience participation; in fact, their reactions can dictate how the performance unfolds. Often, individual matches will be part of a longer story line conflict between "babyfaces" (often shortened to just "faces") and "heels". "Faces" (the "good guys") are those whose actions are intended to encourage the audience to cheer, while "heels" (the "bad guys") act to draw the spectators' ire

While true exhibition matches are not uncommon, most matches tell a story analogous to a scene in a play or film, or an episode of a serial drama: The face will sometimes win (triumph) or sometimes lose (tragedy), and longer story arcs can result from multiple matches. Since most promotions have a championship title, competition for the championship is a common impetus for stories. Also, anything from a character's own hair to his job with the promotion can be wagered in a match.

Some matches are designed to further the story of only one participant. It could be intended to portray an unstoppable force, a lucky underdog, a sore loser, or any other characterization. Sometimes non-wrestling vignettes are shown to enhance a character's image without the need for matches.

Other stories result from a natural rivalry. Outside of performance, these are referred to as feuds. A feud can exist between any number of participants and can last from a few days to decades. The feud between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat lasted from the late 1970s into the early 1990s and allegedly spanned over two thousand matches (although most of those matches were mere dark matches). The career-spanning history between characters Mike Awesome and Masato Tanaka is another example of a long-running feud, as is the case of Steve Austin vs. Vince McMahon, one of the most lucrative feuds in the World Wrestling Federation during 1998 and 1999.

In theory, the longer a feud is built up, the more audience interest (aka heat) lasts. The main event of a wrestling show is generally the most heated. Commonly, a heel will hold the upper hand over a face until a final showdown, heightening dramatic tension as the face's fans desire to see him win.

Throughout the history of professional wrestling, many other elements of media have been utilized in professional wrestling storytelling: pre- and post-match interviews, "backstage" skits, positions of authority and worked behind-the- scenes feuds, division rankings (typically the #1-contendership spot), contracts, lotteries, news stories on websites, and in recent years’ social media.

Also, anything that can be used as an element of drama can exist in professional wrestling stories: romantic relationships (including love triangles and marriage), racism, classism, nepotism, favoritism, corporate corruption, family bonds, personal histories, grudges, theft, cheating, assault, betrayal, bribery, seduction, stalking, confidence tricks, extortion, blackmail, substance abuse, self-doubt, self-sacrifice; even kidnapping, sexual fetishism, necrophilia, misogyny, rape and death have been portrayed in wrestling. Some promotions have included supernatural elements such as magic, curses, the undead and Satanic imagery (most notably the Undertaker and his Ministry of Darkness, a stable that regularly performed evil rituals and human sacrifice in Satanic-like worship of a hidden power figure). Celebrities would also be involved in storylines.

Commentators have become important in communicating the relevance of the characters' actions to the story at hand, filling in past details and pointing out subtle actions that may otherwise go unnoticed.

THEMES

Love and Romance

As in most Shakespearean comedies, As You Like It focuses heavily on love and romance. In this adaptation the song, “All You Need is Love” is also featured to highlight this central theme. There are four conventional couples that this story follows (Rosalind/Orlando, Celia/Oliver, Phebe/Oliver, and Audrey/Touchstone), as well as other love triangles created by mistaken identities. Characters in this show discuss the suffering caused by love, but their laments are unconvincing. Celia speaks to the curative powers of love in her introductory scene with Rosalind, in which she implores her cousin to allow “the full weight” of her love to push aside Rosalind’s unhappy thoughts (I.ii.6). Rosalind too (disguised as

Ganymede), discusses with Orlando how love should look, and how one can be a more attentive lover. By the end of the show, the notion that love is a disease that causes suffering is cast aside, and is instead replaced with a more hopeful message. Love is seen as something delightful that not only brings happiness to the four couples who get married, but also to the leaders of the realm. Setting this adaptation in the 1960s only enhances this message, as the hippie culture of that time also emphasized the importance of love and peace.

Country Life vs. City Life

Director Daryl Cloran decided to set this adaptation in the 1960s, so when the characters run away from the big city to spend time in the forest this suggests that they are casting off profit and commercialism. The simplicity of the Okanagan (originally the Forest of Arden), offers a contrast to the stressful life at court that our characters are trying to escape. The dichotomy between city life and country life is essential to the story, and by moving into the country the characters are able to become much more philosophical, which ties into the birth of the hippie counterculture of the era. However, in Shakespeare’s original text it is important to note that he plays with conventions of the pastoral. For example, Audrey (the shepherdess), is neither articulate nor pure, and does not offer any simple solutions to problems that are found in the city. While the characters are all able to attain a deeper level of reflection during their time away from court, there is still the sense that the time spent in the forest is only temporary. Instead of favouring the city or the country, the text instead suggests that we require a delicate balance between the two.

Forgiveness

At the beginning of the play, Duke Frederick has usurped the throne in Kitsilano, and has exiled his brother (Duke Senior). To avoid persecution, his niece Rosalind and her cousin Celia flee court, and take refuge in the Okanagan. Similarly, Orlando (a young gentleman at court) is forced to flee the city due to conflict with his older brother, Oliver. However, during their time in the Okanagan, characters undergo periods of deep reflection which leads to forgiveness. Duke Frederick is converted by a hermit that he meets, and restores the dukedom to Duke Senior, who in turn restores the forest to the deer. Duke Senior, Rosalind, and Celia forgive Duke Frederick as they see that he has realized the error of his ways. Similarly, Oliver undergoes a change of heart, and his relationship with Orlando is repaired. Thus, the play ends on a happy note.

Religion and Philosophical Thought

In William Shakespeare’s original text, religion plays a key role in Duke Frederick’s arc. Frederick is converted to Christianity by a hermit he meets in the forest, and only then is he able to forgive his brother (Duke Senior) and become a moral ruler. In this adaptation, themes of religion are instead represented by philosophical thought. As the characters spend time away from society, they question traditional views on culture, relationships, gender identity, and human emotions. It is through this exploration that characters are able to grow and change throughout the story. These meditations on morality and philosophy are big parts of what created countercultures in the 1960s (countercultures are referring to: ways of life and attitudes that are opposed to or at variance with the prevailing social norm.) The hippies of this era were known for rejecting conventional values, much like Duke Frederick and the rest of the characters in As You Like It learn to do when they spend time in the forest. In this way, philosophical thought is what leads our characters to morality (much like religion did in the original text).

Gender Identity and Women’s Agency

When Rosalind flees court, she disguises herself in men’s clothing and takes the name Ganymede. This raises pertinent questions about gender roles that are still relevant to contemporary audiences. In her masculine-presenting disguise, Rosalind feels safe to roam the forest with Celia (who is dressed as a shepherdess), and to express her opinions about life, love, and morality. In the original text, Rosalind’s disguise can be seen as a tool that gives her agency and freedom in a time when women were not afforded the same liberties as men. To modern audiences, this can also be read as a representation of gender fluidity. While Rosalind is dressed as Ganymede, there are many moments that are overtly romantic (or that have romantic subtext) between her and Orlando, and between her and the shepherdess Audrey. Themes of gender identity in Shakespeare’s texts are especially interesting given the fact that at the time they were written, young boys were cast to play the roles of women on stage. In the context of the 1960s, Rosalind dressing as a man is yet another representation of countercultures that were emerging at that time. Women started questioning their roles in society, and this lead to the disintegration of the nuclear family and to the birth of second wave feminism. In 1968, a group of women famously threw their bras in a “freedom trash can” to protest the Miss America Beauty Pageant. In this way, we can see how our 1960s Rosalind is participating in a culture that rejects traditional feminine values and beauty standards, and thus finds liberty in a more androgynous identity. Even at the end of the play when Rosalind abandons her 10

disguise, she is still regarded with the same respect from her peers. This enforces that the agency that she develops throughout the story is one that transcends gender politics and time. CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT Curriculum Connections

Participation as an audience member at the Citadel Theatre aligns with the Alberta Education Curriculum. We outline be- low some (but not limited to) objectives, which are developed through the viewing of live theatre:

Drama (Elementary)

Goal: To foster an appreciation for drama as an art form

Objectives The student should: 1. Develop an awareness of an respect for potential excellence in self and others 2. Develop a capacity to analyze, evaluate and synthesize ideas and experiences 3. Develop an awareness and appreciation of the variety of dramatic forms of expression

Specific Learner Expectations

• Intellectual: Develop and exercise imagination; develop concentration • Emotional: Explore emotion; control emotion; express emotion • Social: Understand others; discipline self; develop appreciation of the work of self and others; cope with emotional responses • Integrative: Learn to respond to stimuli; e.g., music, pictures, objects, literature; test and reflect on the consequences of dramatic decisions

Drama (Junior High)

GOAL I: To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.

Objectives The student will: • Strengthen powers of concentration • Extend the ability to think imaginatively and creatively • Extend the ability to explore, control and express emotions • Extend the ability to explore meaning through abstract concepts • Develop the ability to offer and accept constructive criticism

GOAL II: To develop an appreciation for drama and theatre as a process and art form.

Objectives The student will: • Develop awareness of various conventions of theatre • Develop awareness of drama and theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible • Develop the ability to analyze and assess the process and the art • Develop recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre

Drama 10-20-30

GOAL I: To acquire knowledge of self and others through participation in and reflection on dramatic experience.

Objectives The Student will: • Extend the ability to concentrate • Extend understanding of, acceptance of and empathy for others • Demonstrate respect for others — their rights, ideas, abilities and differences

• Demonstrate the ability to offer, accept, and reflect upon, constructive criticism

GOAL II: To develop competency in communication skills through participation in and exploration of various dramatic disciplines.

Objectives The Student will: • Demonstrate understanding of integration of disciplines to enrich a theatrical presentation

GOAL III: To develop an appreciation of drama and theatre as a process and art form.

Objectives The student will: • Explore various conventions and traditions of theatre • Broaden knowledge of theatre by viewing as great a variety of theatrical presentations as possible • Demonstrate the ability to assess critically the process and the art • Demonstrate recognition of and respect for excellence in drama and theatre • Develop an awareness of aesthetics in visual and performing arts

REFERENCES

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles • https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/asyoulikeit/themes/ • https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/06/30/kitsilano-showboat-photos_n_5544789.html • https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/asyoulikeit/themes/