Barenaked laughter

A fool kills a man with a sword, a knife, a pistol, a noose, a machine gun and his bare hands, then rips out the victim’s heart and eats it raw, all in the space of roughly 90 seconds. Now, that’s a laugh riot.

It’s also Christopher Carlson’s scene-stealing überviolent pantomime as Touchstone, the fool in As You Like It, and it’s one of the truly delightful moments in the Green Valley Theatre Company’s production at California Stage. Set in 1969 Orange County, the Forest of Arden is a citrus grove, and the Duke and his usurping brother are quarreling over ownership of the Arden Orange Company.

While changes in time and place can be a lot of fun—witness the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival’s wonderful kabuki-styled version of Macbeth a couple of years ago—this production of As You Like It benefits from more than a ’60s free-love vibe and some tie-dye. It also includes original music using Shakespeare’s lyrics by Canadian folk-pop group the Barenaked Ladies. The troupe provides an able chorus, with Benjamin Ismail singing lead in his role as Amiens, and it’s a delightful addition to the play, which typically has the songs delivered a cappella to music of uncertain vintage.

Not only is Ismail a really good pop singer as well as a fantastic comedic actor, but the songs—with the exception of BNL hit “It’s All Been Done,” which is dropped in gratuitously, albeit tunefully—move the story forward and contribute to the overall lighthearted feel of this comedy.

Director Christopher Cook has put some serious energy into casting, giving key roles to actors who can make the most of comedy that doesn’t require language. While the “rustics”—hillbilly shepherds—are as funny as we expect, the surprise is in the comedic talents of Celena Tasabia (Celia) and Brian Watson (Jacques). Both do outstanding work without especially funny lines. Tasabia is particularly good at the well-timed eye roll or eyebrow twitch that removes all question of Celia being merely a vapid sidekick for the more-daring Rosalind.

Other high points include a well-choregraphed wrestling match that’s as much lucha libre as it is WWE; an exceptionally good Rosalind in Stephanie Zito; and her fantastic chemistry with David Chernyavsky, who plays Orlando as an emo kid turned scribbler. The set is charming and flexible, with orange trees on wheels and a vintage VW Bug that provides a rather cramped spot for romantic fun and games.

The show is paced well and moves along, even with the insertion of the music, but it is Shakespeare, which means it runs a good two and a half hours. The only drawbacks come in the supporting players, who often stumble over their lines, and some glitches with the lighting that occasionally left featured speakers temporarily in the dark. Theatergoers should also be aware that, as befits the Summer of Love setting, the players imbibe in a bit of the delightful herb—and the theater gets quite smoky at times.

In general, this is as rollicking a good time as one can have in the Forest of Arden, where love, song and secret identities make for a whole lot of laughs—even if we don’t actually get to see anyone bare naked.