When William Shakespeare wrote, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" perhaps he had an inkling of what it's like to attend Port Townsend's annual Shakespeare in the Park production.
The weather held out last weekend for the opening of "As You Like It," and audiences came away pleased with the romance laid before them in this happy comedy taking place in the forest.
Portraying Rosalind, the juiciest female lead role ever written by Shakespeare, is Jennifer Ewing, who shows what one year of acting school in New York City at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts can do for a hard worker such as herself. Ewing carries this role with strength, passion and, best of all, a sense of fun. Her character is in love and on the run, and yet somehow stays self-possessed through it all. She's what every woman wants to be, and Ewing embodies it brilliantly.
Director Denise Winter has done a great job of assembling a large cast of 25 members who carry off the show without one weak link in the bunch of them. This is the most chemistry I've seen onstage with a Shakespeare cast in a while, and credit should also be given to Sophie Pipia as Rosalind's cousin Celia, Jesse Olson as Orlando, and Jay Page as Touchstone.
David Wayne Johnson is delightfully dastardly as Duke Frederick, and Becky Plant plays the resistant and petulant Phoebe with such underlying charm it's no wonder that Sam Cavallaro's Silvius loves her.
The one character I couldn't get enough of, though, was Rosaletta Curry's delightfully silly Mme. Le Beau. Give that girl a nomination for best supporting actress!
Finally, a word should be said about the costumes created by Erin McNamara: brava!
This is a fun show, no doubt about it. It's as if Shakespeare had Port Townsend and all of its characters in mind when he wrote it. Go and feel the grass between your toes and enjoy.
"As You Like It" is performed with an intermission and is approximately two hours in length. A $15 donation is suggested for adults, $10 for students.
Audience members are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating on the grass and to dress warmly for when the sun goes down. There are a limited number of blankets available for rental. Picnic fare is welcome, and light refreshments are available at the concession stand, with proceeds supporting KCPT's scholarship fund.
The show runs through Aug. 17 at Chetzemoka Park in Port Townsend. Performances are Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m.; seating begins at 5:30 p.m. There are no advance tickets; bring season tickets, FLEXpass vouchers or gift passes to the park to exchange for admission. Sound amplification is available.
For more information, call 385-7396 or visit www.KeyCityPublicTheatre.org.
