As You Like It

“Smallness is subversive, because smallness can creep into smaller places and wreak transformation at the most vulnerable, cellular level” - Sarah Ruhl

After three very gloomy tragedies, it felt right that it was time for me to direct a comedy!

The Eno River Players have strived to create a world of childhood play, of freedom, over these past four years all over Durham with students, professors, mothers, fathers, engineers, the young, and the older. This production of As You Like It is a celebration of the unforeseen beauty created by this strange gathering of people outside of a familiar context who are made vulnerable by allowing themselves to play.

The vision for the work embraces the theatrically of the theater in order to connect our audiences more deeply with the work by freeing them from the expectation of judgment and submerging them into experiential childhood. Our collective imagination joins us more intimately with Shakespeare’s work. The Forest of Arden (and the theater itself) acts as an escape into a childhood world, where we can play pretend in the identity-fluid and often silly space born from an unspoken agreement to play along and take imaginary stakes seriously.

Indeed, I see grief in even the most joyous of finales. Before long you will leave this warehouse: streamers will fill the landfill: lights will be boxed away. We will never all be gathered here again but know that the forest will still be waiting.

– Leo

This show is dedicated to:

• Mr. Donaldson, whose mentorship and inspiring mind made me feel seen throughout high school

• David Herskovits, who showed me the power of embracing artifice to reveal truth.