Shelter Island’s Sylvester Manor Educational Farm hosts the return of its annual summer series “Shakespeare at the Manor” with two performances of William Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy “As You Like It” set for this Saturday and Sunday.
The comedy marks the return of the series since the COVID-19 pandemic hit over four years ago. Directed by Shelter Island resident Allen O’Reilly, who also serves as Bay Street Theater’s director of education and community outreach, the classic play is often described as Shakespeare’s most musical, as it contains at least four songs, according to O’Reilly. “It’s close with ‘Twelfth Night,’ which I have done on several occasions, as both have four songs,” he says, “but this play’s songs are overall more uplifting.”
Both Saturday and Sunday performances will take place on the outdoor lawn set within the Manor’s grounds. “It seemed like the perfect offering after a five-year hiatus,” says O’Reilly. “‘As You Like It’ takes place in the forest of Arden, and Sylvester Manor has such beautiful forestland.”
The comedy follows its heroine, Rosalind, who flees to the forest of Arden to escape persecution in her uncle’s court and to find her exiled father. Along the way, she finds true love in Orlando and meets a set of eccentric characters. It’s classic, with themes of love, deception, disguise and the theatrical nature of human life. (You know the famous speech “All the world’s a stage?” Yeah, this is the play.)
Sylvester Manor lends itself well when it comes to providing a stage for Shakespeare’s works. Noting the pure beauty at the Shelter Island locale, along with the emphasis on Shakespeare’s words and setting of the play, “I love the purity of the approach at Sylvester Manor,” O’Reilly says, noting there are no lights or microphones for the performance. “It was very important to me, as it is to the staff and board at The Manor, to maintain that purity of approach.”
No stranger to working within other East End theater spaces, most notably Sag Harbor’s Bay Street and LTV Studios in Wainscott, “for Shakespeare, The Manor is an ideal locale to produce his works,” the director says.
Under producer Robin Aren and O’Reilly’s leadership, the cast is comprised of both local actors along with thespians from New York City, operating under what is known as a “Theatre Authority” contract, says O’Reilly, which is normally utilized for telethons and benefits and enabled them to cast Equity actors from the East End, the city and the entire country for this project.
“The catch with this contract is that we only have 25 hours of rehearsal and are limited to two performances. One thousand actors who applied didn’t seem to be too intimidated by the compressed process!” he says.
Does O’Reilly consider Shakespeare’s works especially difficult to direct? “Good question! It is a wonderful challenge to direct Shakespeare for a contemporary audience,” he emphasizes. “Most have only read the plays but to highlight the text and to give the setting a more contemporary vibe, it really has the potential to resonate with a modern audience. Shakespeare’s themes are happening now — love, betrayal, forgiveness — and with the wonderful actors, the sometimes ‘stodgy’ text feels fresh and new.”
Showtimes are at 6 p.m. for both Saturday, July 27, and Sunday, July 28. Tickets are $30 per person, while children ages 10 and under are free. Gates open at 5:30 p.m..
