Casting As You Like It at Bay Street Theater: Expect the Unexpected

The third play of the Bay Street Theater season is Shakespeare’s As You Like It, featuring some theater royalty: Ellen Burstyn as the pensive Jacques and Andre de Shields, a show-stealer as Touchstone. They form the yin and yang of the bard’s comedy in this Sag Harbor staging under John Doyle’s direction, with Jacques pensive and pacing, and Touchstone colorful and cavorting. Burstyn is a most muted star in hat and tie. De Shields is his usual irrepressible in argyle socks and waistcoat. Of course the others in the ensemble for this musical version that will travel off-Broadway, to the CSC in the fall, are fine. But on the random Tuesday we attended, another was plucked from the first audience row, artist Eric Fishl, who as William with lines written out to read, formed a love triangle for the favors of Audrey, a saucy goatherd (Cass Morgan). Fishl’s wife April Gornik was cracking up, as her husband hates this sort of thing, she said. But Fishl was game, and handled his acting quite nicely, however sheepish he was. He does not win Audrey’s hand.

As You Like It’s plot involves couplings: Two brothers. One usurps the throne. The other goes into exile in the Forest of Arden. Their daughters, Rosalind and Celia, stay in court as playmates. Two younger brothers, Orlando and Oliver, also vie for power. Rosalind and Orlando fall in love. Banished from court by her uncle, Rosalind disguises herself as Ganymede, a young swain, and heads for the forest to seek her father. Scenes of mismatched lovers and irresponsible leaders ensue, until by Shakespearean magic, all is set right. The principle themes: the virtues of family and marital love, the problems of sibling rivalry, even the most brutal aspects of bad leadership soften in this forest, an alternate bucolic kingdom, here festooned with colored orbs of light, the work of Mike Baldassari.

Kyle Scatliffe’s Orlando, and Quincy Tyler Bernstine’s Celia complement Hannah Cabell’s sensible Rosalind/ Ganymede. Bob Stillman, well cast as Duke Frederick and Duke Senior, keeps these leaders distinct while showing that as brothers, they are flip sides of one another. And, he plays piano with Stephen Schwartz’ original music. Ellen Burstyn delivers Jacques’ “stages of man” speech with authority, and balances the play’s frivolity in heady philosophies. You cannot argue with the joy of an ending involving four weddings.

As to Eric Fishl's acting future, well, a new project for his art was just announced. In this year, marking the 25th Anniversary of the Hamptons International Film Festival, for the fourth time, he will create the poster.

Regina Weinreich

Graphic Design: Salpeter Ventura