As You Like It

It's obvious early on that director David H. Bell wants to draw out the differences between the court and the forest of Arden. Life is dark in civilization -- it always seems to be night, and the dress code includes lots of black. By the time the mismatched heroes make their way to Arden, they have  discovered the pastoral life, complete with earth tones and streams of natural sunlight. It is here, amid the delights of the forest, that loves enters its full blossom. Matching strong performances with an innovative and perfect stage design, the Chicago Shakespeare Theater's production of As You Like It breezes by, even during the mostly action-free second act. As with any first-rate production of the Bard, much of this can be credited to the actors, who never lose the sense of the darkness they've escaped.

Elizabeth Laidlaw gives Rosalind a tough shell  - one that doesn't break until Orlando (played with ample charm by Timothy Gregory) manages to work his way into her heart. The same is true for the rest of the lovesick and forlorn characters who inhabit the forest. The only one unable to find joy is poor Jacques, the sole character still trapped in his black outfit while living in Arden.

As created by the talented Greg Vinkler, Jacques is the cynic's cynic during the "All the world's a stage" speech and a puzzled observer during the hunt.