Outside Counsel

To As You Like It at Shakespeare in Delaware Park the other night, just in time because it closes Sunday. This has been the strongest season for this institution that I can recall. I didn't mention it at the time, but Saul Elkin's Merchant of Venice was excellent. There are times when I feel as though SiDP is a vehicle for Elkin's ego ("Hmm. Perhaps I shall play Lear this season") but his Shylock took some real risks and was a nuanced piece of acting. I really like As You Like It, but it is tough to do-- there are pacing challenges, and keeping the energy level up can be hard to do. This managed it nicely, and there were excellent performances by Anne Roalidi as Celia, Norman Sham as Touchstone and Arin Lee Dandes as Pheobe. Morgan Chard handled the gender-bending Rosalind nicely, with graceful physicality that reminded me of Lilly Tomlin's performance in All of Me. It's tricky, I think, to move like a woman thinks like a man moves, sort of like listening to an Englishman imitate an American accent. When it is done well it is hilarious, and Ms. Chard did it quite well. Of Tim Newell's Jacques there is only this to say: my summers would be poorer if Mr. Newell weren't a part of them. He is terrific at this sort of thing, and has possibly the best range of any of the Shakespeare in the Park regulars I've seen.

SiDP always does one show in more or less Shakespearean costume and one in the garb of some other period. This was kinda Victorian, I guess, or maybe Edwardian. I have long yearned for Star Trek costumes, and last night CLA proposed Sports Mascots. We could have Sabretooth, and Mr. Met, and Buster Bison.... In the alternative, how about a Romeo and Juliet with Yankees and Red Sox uniforms?

I was also struck by the size of the crowd and by the audience reaction at intermission when County defunding was mentioned.