As You Like It, Directed by Mendes, Opens at BAM Jan. 26

By Adam Hetrick
26 Jan 2010

As You Like It stars Christian Camargo, Michelle Beck and Juliet Rylance
As You Like It stars Christian Camargo, Michelle Beck and Juliet Rylance
Photo by Joan Marcus

The Bridge Project staging of Shakespeare's As You Like It, starring Stephen Dillane, Christan Camargo, Juliet Rylance and Thomas Sadoski, officially opens at the Brooklyn Academy of Music Jan. 26 after previews that began Jan. 12.

Under the direction of Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes, As You Like It is the first production of the 2010 Bridge Project. The Tempest will follow on Feb. 14 and officially open Feb. 25. Both productions will run in repertory through March 13 in BAM's Harvey Theater.

For the second season, the Bridge Project – a collaboration between BAM, The Old Vic and Neal Street Productions – returns to New York with a transatlantic company of actors from the U.S. and Britain. Conceived as a three-year venture, the Bridge Project launched in 2009 with The Cherry Orchard and The Winter's Tale.

The company includes Stephen Dillane (Jacques/Prospero), Christian Camargo (Orlando/Ariel), Juliet Rylance (Rosalind/Miranda), Thomas Sadoski (Touchstone/Stephano), Ron Cephas Jones (Charles the Wrestler/Caliban) Michelle Beck (Celia/Ceres), Ashlie Atkinson (Phoebe/Juno), Jenni Barber (Audrey/Iris), Edward Bennett (Oliver/Ferdinand), Alvin Epstein (Adam/Gonzalo), Jonathan Fried (Le Beau/Alonso), Richard Hansell (Amiens/Sebastian), Aaron Krohn (Silvius/Adrian), Anthony O'Donnell (Corin/Trinculo), Michael Thomas (Dukes Frederick and Senior/Antonio) and Ross Waiton (Boatswain, Francisco, First Lord).

The plays feature set design by Tom Piper, costume design by Catherine Zuber, lighting design by Paul Pyant and sound design by Simon Baker with music by Mark Bennett and choreography by Josh Prince.

"Stephen Dillane and I began a conversation about his playing Prospero in The Tempest when I first conceived The Bridge Project back in 2007 and I'm delighted to be finally bringing those plans to fruition," Mendes said in a previous statement. "I have followed, admired and hoped to collaborate with so many of the actors joining this year, adding to my excitement about forming The Bridge Project's second company, and building on the wonderful experience of our first year. The Bridge Project is a major commitment for actors. It unfurls across nine months with two plays performed across major seasons in New York and London, interspersed with an international touring schedule that takes in Asia and many of Europe's finest cultural festivals. The first Bridge company was made extraordinarily welcome in the countries we've visited and I'm hugely looking forward to making a second such journey."

Following the BAM premiere, the dual productions will tour Asia and Europe before opening in London at The Old Vic in June 2010.

For tickets, phone (718) 636-4100 or visit BAM.