#asyoulikeit

Two young women grow up in a world surrounded by virtual reality. Why talk when you can text? Why listen to the sounds of nature when you can have your earbuds in, listening to the latest hits? It is a cold world filled with whispers, liars, and a lack of humanity.

This world, the world of the Court, is run by Queen Fredericka, a heartless being who banished her own sibling to take over the throne. The banished Queen Senora lives in the forest with her band of lovers, poets and fools.

Rosalind is Queen Senora’s daughter. She was kept at Court to entertain her cousin, Celia, Queen Fredericka’s daughter. Raised together, Celia and Rosalind are as close as sisters.

Orlando is the youngest son of the now deceased Sir Rowland de Boys. His older brother, the nefarious Oliver, jealous of his brother’s good looks and charm, keeps him like a servant. During a gladiator type fight between Queen Fredericka’s champion, Charles, and the good and heroic Orlando, Orlando wins not only the battle, but Rosalind’s heart as well.

Queen Fredericka banishes Rosalind, fearing that she is taking attention away from the gentle Celia. Rosalind and Celia decide to escape together to The Forest Of Arden to seek out Rosalind’s mother. Rosalind disguises herself as a man, Ganymede, Celia as a country maiden, Aliena, and The Fool, Touchstone, as a country bumpkin.

Fearing Oliver’s death threats, Orlando also escapes to the forest, not knowing that Rosalind is there, and in man’s disguise.

Of course, The Forest has no electricity, and therefore no electronics. Faced with having to live in an unplugged world, Rosalind, Celia, Touchstone and Orlando must learn to communicate face to face. Heart to heart.

It is here, in The Forest, that Rosalind, as Ganymede, teaches the young Orlando how to woo, and finally how to really love, and in the teaching him learns all about it herself. She also schools two shepherds, the wacky Phoebe, who thinking Rosalind is a man falls in love with her, and her suitor, the slow but steady Silvius. She also meets the melancholy Jaques, one of her mother’s cohorts. Jaques speaks of life in “All the World’s A Stage.”

In the end, Queen Fredericka is defeated. Rosalind is reunited with Queen Senora and gets to marry the now love schooled Orlando! She also brings together Phoebe and Silvius. Celia falls instantly in love with Oliver, Orlando’s brother. And a quadruple wedding ensues: Rosalind and Orlando, Oliver and Celia, Touchstone and the bawdy Audrey, and Phoebe and her ardent suitor, Silvius.

Unplugged from machines but definitely plugged into life!