Orlando (center, Julian Rivera Santiago) is head-over-heels for his newfound love, Rosalind (right, Maya Andersen). After Orlando escapes to Arden, Ganymede (left, Maya Andersen) vows to cure his lovesickness, as Orlando and his fellow exiles learn to live and love freely in their new home in the forest. UVA Drama presents As You Like It, music and lyrics by Shaina Taub, directed by Jessica Harris, opening March 27, 2025 in the Culbreth Theatre. Photos by Kori Price
As You Like It
Adapted by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery
Words and Music by Shaina Taub
Directed by Recent UVA Alum Jessica Harris
Running March 27-April 6 at the Culbreth Theatre
The UVA Department of Drama will continue its 2024-2025 season with a community-engaged theatre production of a beloved musical adaptation of musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, with music and lyrics by Shaina Taub, and directed by recent UVA Drama Department alum Jessica Harris, runs March 27 through April 6 at the Culbreth Theatre.
The musical debuted in 2017 as part of the Public Theatre’s New Works Program. It was later named one of the Best Shows of 2017 by the New York Times and had a triumphant run in the summer of 2022 as part of the famed Shakespeare in the Park series. Designed as a participatory theatre experience, the show will feature a cast of 40 people made up of UVA students and community members while also highlighting the important work of some local organizations working to improve life in and around Charlottesville.
As You Like It tells the story of Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind and niece Celia, who are banished to the Forest of Aden. There, they discover a community of acceptance and transformational love, where all are welcomed and embraced. This magical adaptation of the Bard’s beloved classic is highlighted by a powerful, propulsive and genre-bending score.
The project was a perfect fit for Harris, who has been using theatre to build bridges to the community for years, including founding Empowered Players, a nonprofit youth theatre in Fluvanna County. She finds herself squarely at the intersection of education, community, and the arts through her work with the Center for Community Partnerships. She is a “Double Hoo,” earning an undergrad degree in nonprofit arts administration and education and a master’s degree in educational psychology.
In 2023, she worked as Manager of Community Partnerships for UVA Drama’s production of Taub’s musical adaptation of Twelfth Night, directed by UVA Drama Artistic Director Dave Dalton. One of her primary responsibilities, Harris said, was to work with Dalton to connect with community members and organizations. “It was so exciting for me, as someone from the Charlottesville area and as someone who went to school here, to be part of an effort to use the arts to intentionally build bridges from the community to UVA and vice versa.”
For Harris, directing is a natural extension of her community building background and focus. “I often say I can’t divorce my directing from community work – they are one and the same. When you think about it, building a community is at the core of what a director does, and the fact that I get to do it in a place where I am so deeply rooted makes it that much more special.”
The show will give Charlottesville audiences an opportunity to support their community in several ways, including by supporting the friends and neighbors they will see on stage. In addition to the community cast members, some of whom, Harris said, have leading roles, some of the area’s arts-based organizations get turns in the spotlight. These include the Charlottesville Ballet, the women of CLAW (Charlottesville Ladies Arm Wrestling), and the talented young theatre performers of DMR Adventures.
The play, Harris said, has something for everyone – funny moments, solemn moments, emotional moments and more. “At its core, what you see on stage is 40 people telling this beautiful story about finding community and about people finding themselves and embracing who they are.” And then there is the music. “We have such wide-ranging genres, from pop to R&B and rock, and beyond. The show does a really good job of breaking down the idea of what a musical can be, and in a way, what Shakespeare can be, which I think is really exciting.”
This musical version of As You Like It, Harris said, is highly entertaining, and at the same time a call to action. “The show is challenging us to lean into our authenticity to work together to build the community we want to see.”
Harris believes the final product will be a beautiful show that reflects the unique way it came together. “The work we will present to audiences on that stage is very much informed by the process of bringing folks together across community lines to explore a story and themes that translate across centuries, and directly to the world where we live today.”
This important work, Harris added, should not end when the curtain comes down. “The primary themes of this play are love and community. It’s about finding those spaces where you are embraced and welcomed for who you are. The question we all need to be asking ourselves today is ‘How do we get to that place together?’”
One way is by shining a spotlight on organizations working tirelessly to improve life here. Each night, representatives from some of these will be stationed in the Drama Building lobby to meet patrons and share information on their work and missions.
Tickets for As You Like It are sold through the UVA Arts Box Office and are available online at www.artsboxoffice.virginia.edu, by phone at 434-924-3376, or in person at the UVA Arts Box office located in the lobby of the Drama Building. Hours of operation are noon to 5PM, Tuesday through Friday. Free parking for UVA Drama performances is available at the Culbreth Road Parking Garage, conveniently located alongside the theaters.