As You Like It Brings Love and Laughter to Creative 360

On April 28, 29 and 30, the Creative 360 Bayliss Gallery will be transformed into the Forest of Arden as a cast of 18 artists from the Great Lakes Bay Region present Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Join Rosalind and her cousin Celia as they escape into the woods to find adventure, love, and family in a joyous tale of freedom and empowerment full of comic characters and memorable moments.

This show has been a long time coming for performers in the area who hoped for an in-person chance with the bard. “Many of us worked on Shakespeare together, but not in person,” said actress Kate Fort who plays Rosalind in the production. “During the pandemic we did the “Shakespeare and Chill” Zoom series. Finally working together in person has been one of my favorite parts of this production!”

The performance will feature the talents of Midland artists Kate Fort, Taylor Winslow, Arlo Welser, Shawn Finney, Andrew Fort, Nate Coady, Nick Pellegrino, Brandon McMullen and Michelle Wallace; Bay City artists Anthony Lynch, Erica Tatum, Elizabeth Dewey, Mike Wisniewski and Katie MacLean-Peters; Harrison artist: Kat Johns; Clare artist Maranda Ginop; and Saginaw artist Richelle Snelenberger.

One of Shakespeare’s most performed comedies, As You Like It has love as its central theme.  The extra fun comes from sibling rivalry, family drama and just general silliness as the characters wind their way through the beautiful Forest of Arden. One special aspect of the Creative 360 production is the scenery – each of the 7 foot tall forest trees were constructed from 34 unique canvases created by more than 60 members of the community.

“Like so many of Shakespeare’s plays, this story has so much to offer a modern audience,” remarked director Laura Brigham. “Our production focuses strongly on how life changes when a person chooses to walk away from society’s expectations and just be themselves.”

“We’ve been working a lot on comprehension,” explained Fort. “Some people think Shakespeare is stuffy or archaic, but when you watch it performed by actors who know what they’re saying, you find it’s actually the opposite. This show is full of puns, innuendo, word play, friends teasing each other, and characters dealing with life situations that we are all familiar with. There is something for everyone in this family friendly show.”

As You Like It performances are Friday, April 28 and Saturday April 29 at 7 pm, and Sunday April 30 at 2pm. Admission is $15 pre-pay and $20 at the door. BYOB.