Another summer day in NYC and another outdoor play in the park. This time rtb and I saw Shakespeare’s As You Like It presented by New York Classical Theatre in Battery Park.

This was a panoramic play so we had to walk from site to site as the play moved. It started right outside Clinton Castle, moved indoors, then we were outside in different parts of the woods, and we ended up at the WWII naval memorial for the final wedding scene. Director Stephen Burdman had us moving all around the park and we were treated to some beautiful views, especially at the end.

Everyone in the play was wonderful. Ian Antal made a wonderfully handsome and confused Orlando and Rin Allen was a convincing Rosalind as Ganymede. Standouts were a very young Jackson Demott Hill as the old servant Adam who did well with his speeches and John Robert Armstrong, a Seth Meyers type, as Touchstone, a very show-offy court fool.

Some of the actors made good use of the crowd with their interactions and asides. It makes it a lot of fun when they don’t pretend that we’re not there watching or treat us as lord and ladies of the court.

The 1920s costumes by Jessa-Raye Court were convincing.

This play has the famous “All the world’s a stage” speech and Clay Storseth as Jaques made the most of it.

The rest of the cast was Sid Solomon (Oliver), Daniel Patrick Smith (Charles, Silvius), Connie Castanzo (Celia), Nick Salamonte (Duke Frederick, Corin), Christopher Cass (Duke Senior), Emily Verla (Audrey), and Antoinette Robinson (Phoebe).

Before the play I walked around Battery Park for a bit.

By Carene Lydia Lopez