On Campus: Harper Takes on Shakespeare with 'As You Like It' Performances

Shakespeare penned “As You Like It,” an Elizabethan Era romantic comedy, sometime around 1600. More than 400 years later, the Harper Ensemble Theatre Company is bringing it to the Harper College stage – and director Kevin Long says the play, a tale of mistaken identity and misguided affection, is as relevant today as it was centuries ago.

Show times are 8 p.m. Friday, March 23 and Saturday, March 24 and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 25 in the Performing Arts Center on Harper's main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine. A special "Coffee With the Director" conversation about the play and the cast's preparation will be held in the lobby at 1 p.m. Sunday, an hour before the show's scheduled start.

Tickets are $15 for general admission. Call 847.925.6100 or visit www.harpercollege.edu/boxoffice.

Long, an assistant professor at Harper, promises the play will deliver humor, characters and issues that 21st century audiences will appreciate, and says Shakespeare’s staying power speaks to his ability to write for and about real people.

We asked him to addresses the play and its centuries-long popularity.

Q: Give us the two-second summary of “As You Like It.”

A: Banished by Duke Frederick, her throne-usurping uncle, Rosalind, disguised as a boy, seeks refuge in the idyllic Forest of Arden, where her father, Duke Senior, and his loyal followers live in exile. There she finds her true love, Orlando, whom she instructs on how best to truly love a woman. This play has love, laughter, song, dance and some at-times bawdy humor. It’s Shakespeare’s more glorious romantic comedy, and it really does have something for everyone – so everyone should “like it.”

Q: Shakespeare penned his plays in the 1500s and 1600s. What about this one is still relevant?

A: Times are hard right now. People are struggling, and this play’s characters are also struggling – but life and love continue even through the hard times. Through this play, Shakespeare shows us it’s his grand hope that everything will turn out just fine in the end. That’s why this play is still relevant, and that’s why Shakespeare has survived the test of time. We can all use a good human comedy to bolster our minds and fill our hearts and souls. Laughter and love are great cures for weariness and stress. So, in our cold social media-versus-true human interaction world, we can learn some lessons from these characters: Slow down. And find a place outside of the stressful world where you can find true balance. 

Q: Why do you believe Shakespeare’s plays are still such hits with audiences?

A: Overall, we need to remember that Shakespeare wrote with all of us in mind. He wrote about us, and for us. Every time you work on or watch one of his plays, you discover more and more depth, and you learn more and more about who we are as people and as a society. 

Q: “As You Like It” is considered a comedy. How does that humor translate centuries later? 

A: Our cast has spent an extensive amount of time analyzing and delving into the text to make it as clear as possible to audiences today, so our hope is that you will truly understand the humor and the essence of the play. We look at it like this: Shakespeare’s characters are normal human beings who just happen to speak well. We’ve honored the verse structure, but it shouldn’t sound like we are “speaking Shakespeare.” It will take your ear a few minutes to get used to it, but it should be understood and enjoyed by all.

Q: What do you want audiences to take away from “As You Like It”?

A: I would love for them to fall in love when they come see the show. I would love for the audience to become swept up in the spring fever of love, life and joy. The people who live in the “As You Like It” Forest of Arden are a mixed bag of individuals. They argue, misunderstand each other, flirt, joke, sing and love – but above all, they create a community.