'As You Like It': Plimoth Players' Summer Shakespeare Lineup

The work put into staging a Shakespeare play as it may have been seen in a provincial English theater in the 1500s is anything but "much ado about nothing," but it's guaranteed to be "as you like it."
 
However, that is the first play in the Plimoth Players will perform this summer. Much Ado About Nothing kicks off the 2013 season in August.

Beginning in 2010, the Shakespearean troupe has become a "vital part of the Museum's commitment to 17th-century storytelling," according to the Plimoth Plantation.

"The Plimoth Players explore the world that the Plymouth colonists left behind in England. They bring the exciting tradition of the touring player to life this summer by creating the atmosphere of a 17th-century English manor house in Plimoth Plantation’s black box theater. In keeping with the practice of traveling players in the Elizabethan Age, the Plimoth Players perform with a minimal cast of five actors, all male, who play multiple roles."

The season begins Wednesday, Aug. 7 with one of Shakespeare's best comedies: Much Ado About Nothing, a tale of two pairs of lovers, young Claudio and Hero and the older Benedick and Beatrice. The tumultuous course of their contrasting relationships creates a compelling story, which combines moments of outright hilarity with ruminations on darker themes of honor, shame, and court politics.

As You Like It follows the story of Rosalind, the daughter of a banished Duke, who falls in love with the disinherited nobleman, Orlando. When her uncle banishes her from court, Rosalind takes on the appearance of a man and calls herself Ganymede. This simple deception leads to a series of comedic episodes which reflect on themes of life, love, and family in an irresistible comedy that you do not want to miss.

Much Ado About Nothing will be performed Wednesday and Friday nights, while As You Like It will run Thursday and Saturday nights. The two plays run through August.

Tickets are $12 for members of the Museum and $17 for general public. For more information, visit www.plimoth.org/shakespeare.