'As You Like It' Well-Liked (But Indoors)

As storm clouds rolled over Morristown Sunday, July 25, Macculloch Hall Historical Museum Events and Programs Coordinator Karen Hollywood led a team of volunteers. They had an important task: relocating the chairs that had been arranged in the museum's lush gardens; the first performance in this summer's Shakespeare in the Garden series didn't quite make it into the garden.

"As You Like It" was scheduled to take place in the shade of a beech tree, but because of the inclement weather, the show was moved inside to Macculloch Hall's air-conditioned gallery space — which few seemed to mind considering the circumstances.

For more than a decade, Macculloch Hall has hosted the Shakespeare in the Garden program, inviting members of the community to enjoy outdoor theatrical productions in the museum's historic gardens.

"We're fortunate to have a spectacular garden setting, which we like to utilize as much as possible and share with the local community," Hollywood said. "The museum wants to be an organization that offers diverse programming that appeals to a variety of audiences."

The Shakespeare program is supported in part by the Arts Council of the Morris Area, and the museum received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission.

The audience at Sunday's show included families with children, couples, museum members and first-time visitors, many of who took a tour of the historic home before the production. Some brave souls even ventured into the gardens, raincoats on and umbrellas in hand, before enjoying the performance in a drier, lightning-free setting.

The production of William Shakespeare's "As You Like It" was performed by the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey's Next Stage Ensemble. The classic comedy tells the story of Rosalind, who, banished from her uncle's court runs away with her cousin Celia and court jester Touchstone to the Forest of Arden, where all three eventually find love. The company performed a fast-paced, abridged version with a running time of approximately one hour.  

The Next Stage Ensemble is part of the theater's Summer Professional Training Program and is one of 12 educational programs the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey offers. The ensemble is composed of 12 young but experienced actors; most hold bachelor's degrees in theatee and many are working toward master's degrees. They attend master classes and tour the state from May through August, performing two abridged plays in various settings, including summer camps, retirement homes, libraries and parks.

This past Sunday was a particularly busy one for the Ensemble, with three performances scheduled in three different New Jersey towns.

"We came here from a 1 o'clock performance, and we've got another one at 7:30," tour manager Joe Borkovich said.

The Shakespeare in the Garden series continues on Sunday, Aug. 1, when The Next Stage Ensemble will return to Macculloch Hall to perform Aphra Behn's "The Rover". The following Sunday, Aug. 8, the company will conclude the series with another performance of "As You Like It."