2. A Director’s Cut
One of the most crucial members in the
theatre field is the director. The director is in
charge of orchestrating the production of a
performance by combining the different
elements of theatre into one. The director is
also in charge of choosing and modifying the
script in order to best accommodate his
vision of the play.
3. An Introduction to As You Like It
Written in late 1599/early 1600 by William
Shakespeare, As You Like It is a comedy about
Orlando, a young nobleman seeking to obtain the
treatment he deserves from his elder brother. At the
same time Rosalind, the daughter of an usurped
Duke, embarks on an adventure to find love when
she is banished from her father’s old lands.
4. Choosing the script
My group decided on “As You Like It” as our play and script because it
was a comedy written by Shakespeare himself, the setting was familiar and
at the same time interesting, and it seemed like the best script out of the 4
choices.
Personally, as the director, I think the play is a bit too long for modern
viewing. The audience tends to lose interest in very long plays. In order to
accommodate for a more appropriate time of an hour and thirty minutes to
two hours, it would be best to cut certain semi-redundant segments out of
the script. An example of these segments include the excerpt: “The
wretched animal heaved forth such groans that their discharge did stretch
his leathern coat” from the First Lord’s dialogue in Act 2, Scene 1.
Although it offers imagery to better convey what the character is saying, it
is not essential to the play and as such it can be removed safely.
5. Casting
Casting is hugely important in theatre. The actors
and actresses chosen will have to embody the
characters of the play to the best of their ability. It is
up to the director to find people that fit the
description of the character both visually and
emotionally.
The next few slides will contain the main characters
along with the actor/actress I believe would be able
to assume the role
6. Michael Cera as
Orlando
Michael has been involved in films
such as Superbad and Scott Pilgrim vs
The World. In these films, he plays
characters who are timid, but have an
inner drive that allows them to
achieve their goal. I would cast him as
Orlando because of his experience
with comedy and his abulity to
embody goofy and determined.
7. Anne Hathaway as
Rosalind
Anne Hathaway possesses comedic
experience and could also
believably achieve a masculine
look, while retaining that distinct
femininity about her. She would be
able to become the strong-willed
and clever woman Rosalind is.
Anne is my preferred choice for the
role of the heroine.
8. Seth Rogen as Duke
Senior
Duke Senior is a kind-hearted man
who despite being exiled to the forest,
lives a happy life. Seth Rogen would
play this part well since he is such a
light-hearted person, yet can also be
extremely funny. He’d had experience
by acting in a multitude of roles, and
has also directed a few of his own
films.
9. Vince Vaughn as
Jacques
Vince Vaughn is an experienced
actor in the comedy field. This
experience allows him to excel in a
variety of roles. Jacques would
need an actor that has a distinct
melancholic disposition to them,
and Vince would be the guy for it.
10. Emma Stone as
Celia
Emma has shown that she can play
the “best friend” character Celia is
in films like Easy A. Celia is
extremely close to Rosalind, and I
think Anne and Emma could
achieve the chemistry necessary for
both roles.
11. James Franco as
Duke Frederick
Duke Frederick is a character that
has a change of heart upon meeting
an old religious man. A villain
redeemed, James Franco plays a
similar role in Spider-Man 3 as the
New Goblin. He is an experienced
actor who has appeared in comedy
films before and would be great for
the role
12. Russell Brand as
Touchstone
Vulgar and rude, Touchstone
ridicules everyone around him as
the clown he is. He is the source of
many innuendo jokes in the play.
Russell Brand is a goofy individual,
and I cannot think of anyone better
than him to play the part of
Touchstone.
13. Jesse Eisenberg as
Oliver
Oliver lives to make his brother
Orlando miserable, but after he is
saved by the person he hates so
much, his attitude changes for the
better. Jesse Eisenberg can wear
both of these “faces”, and he looks
quite a bit like Michael Cera, as a
bonus to his casting.
14. Spine and Theme of the play
As You Like It is not a play that can be easily described by a single spine or theme.
For this reason, I will attempt to choose the best description for both
Spine: The play follows the spine of “Finding true love”, the play culminates with the
characters finding true love. Rosalind with Orlando, Celia with Oliver, Phoebe and Silvius,
Touchstone and Audrey ultimately end up paired together throughout the play.
Theme: While the spine focuses more on love, I believe the theme of the play is actually
one of change, and how people are able to change for the better. This is seen when Oliver
is saved by Orlando in the forest, and when Duke Frederick gives back the crown and
joins the monastery after meeting the religious man. What I find most interesting is that
the change in the play did not happen over a period of time, it happens instantaneously.
As the director, the spine and theme identifies above should be the main focus. As
such, actors should be informed and scenes must be established in ways that
emphasize both the theme and spine. Examples of usage of set elements to achieve
this include focusing lights on a couple embracing, changing wardrobes for
redeemed characters (Duke Frederick might wear black attire in the beginning, but
switch to brighter or more pure colors such as white by the end of the play).
