Duke Senior, a banished Duke
Touchstone, the Clown
Duke Frederick, his usurping brother
Rosalind, daughter of Duke Senior
Corin, an old shepherd
Celia, daughter of Duke Frederick
Silvius, a young shepherd, in love with Phoebe
Oliver, oldest son of Sir Rowland de Boys
Phoebe, a shepherdhess
Jaques, son of Sir Rowland deBoys
William, a country youth, in love with Audrey
Orlando, son of Sir Rowland deBoys
Audrey, a country wench
Amiens, a lord attending Duke Senior
Jaques, a lord attending Duke Senior
Sir Oliver Martext, a country vicar
Hymen, god of marriage
LeBeau, a courtier attending Duke Frederick
Charles, a wrestler in the court of Duke Frederick
Adam, an aged servant of Oliver and then Orlando
Dennis, a servant of Oliver

THE SOURCE: Shakespeare's only important source for "As You Like It" was Thomas Lodge's (c.1557-1625) prose romance novel, "Rosalynde"(1590), which in turn was based on the medieval narrative poem, "The Tale of Gamelyn." Read THE SOURCE

THE HISTORY OF THE PLAY: "As You Like It" may have been written expressly for the first season of the Globe Theater, in the autumn of 1599. Though the exact date of performance is unsure, it was registered in August of 1600 when Shakespeare's Lord Chamberlain's Men registered it with the Stationers' Company as a play "to be stayed"-that is, not to be published. Read THE HISTORY

THE SYNOPSIS: Orlando, youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys, reports that his older brother Oliver has ignored their late father's will, withholding Orlando's inheritance, denying him an education, and treating him like a peasant. Read the SYNOPSIS

NOTES ON THE TEXT: The plot moves swiftly in the beginning of "As You Like It" (and then stands almost still until the fifth act) because the interest of the play is not intended to arise out of the action or situation. The play is chiefly concerned with two enduring human illusions - the pastoral ideal, or the dream of a simple life, and the ideal of romantic love. Read the NOTES

DETAILS ABOUT THE PLAY: Though there was an Arden Forest in Warwickshire, England (where Shakespeare's mother's family was from), it is fairly certain that Shakespeare placed "As You Like It", in the French forest of Ardennes, as Shakespeare's main source, Lodge's "Rosalynde," was set there. Read more DETAILS

ABOUT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England, in April, 1564. It is thought that Shakespeare was educated at the King's New School, where he studied Latin and the literature of Virgil, Ovid, and Plutarch. Read about SHAKESPEARE

THE ELIZABETHANS - AN OVERVIEW: The Elizabethan era, as it is commonly known, is named after Elizabeth I, The Virgin Queen (1533-1603), daughter of the second wife of King Henry VIII, who is best remembered for beheading most of his six wives. Read the rest of this OVERVIEW

THE GLOBE THEATER - DID YOU KNOW? According to recent discoveries made at the Globe excavation site, the playhouse may have had as many as twenty sides, giving it a circular appearance. It was an open - air theater that held about three thousand spectators. Read more TRIVIA

There are many great movies and videotapes today that give us a better understanding of the plays and life of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Though most filmmakers take liberties with history for dramatic purposes, the following is a list contains good examples of Shakespeare's life and works. Check your library, video store, or the Internet for availability.

As You Like It - There are three filmed versions of the play that are available in The United States. The 1936 film starring Laurence Olivier as Orlando is cut way down and contains many scenes that are truly laughable. The 1980 BBC Television production set on location at a British castle stars Helen Mirren as Rosalind and is available through your library Reference Department where they will order it from the State of Florida Library in Tallahassee. The newest available version of the play is a 1994 production from The Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada. This version is widely available on videotape through the library system and on the Internet.

Shakespeare in Love - This Oscar-winning 1998 film stars Joseph Fiennes as the Bard and Gwyneth Paltrow as his lover and muse. Though not completely accurate about the life of Shakespeare, it is a wonderful story that shows Shakespeare being inspired to write the plays that he did.

Elizabeth - This 1998 film starred Cate Blanchett as the young Princess Elizabeth and the road she traveled to be Queen. It is fairly faithful to the life of Elizabeth and contains accurate period details as well.

Kenneth Branagh - This actor/director has created some of the most exciting Shakespearean movies in recent memory. His wonderful film adaptations have included "Henry V," "Much Ado About Nothing," and "Hamlet." This fall (1999) he is scheduled to release his fourth Shakespearean adaptation, a musical version of "Love's Labour's Lost," set in the 1930's with music by Cole Porter.

Romeo and Juliet - The 1996 film version starring Leonardo DeCaprio and Claire Danes as the star-crossed lovers was updated by director Baz Luhrmann and set in a contemporary/ futuristic city-state. Though the actors chosen had trouble with the language, the movie is engaging and well-directed. The better movie is the 1968 Franco Zefferelli version, with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey as the lovers.

Other recent films of Shakespeare include:
— 1999 A Midsummer Night's Dream starring Rupert Everett, and Michelle Pfieffer.
— 1996 Twelfth Night starring Helena Bonham Carter.
— 1995 Richard III starring Ian McKellan, and Annette Benning.
— 1990 Hamlet starring Mel Gibson, and Glenn Close.
— 1984 King Lear starring Laurence Olivier, and Diana Rigg.
— 1967 The Taming of the Shrew starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

In live theatre, unlike movies and television, the actors can hear (and often see) you as easily as you can hear and see them. If you comment out loud at a live show, or read or eat, you disturb not only other members of the audience but also the people on stage, thus diminishing the performance and, ultimately, your enjoyment of it.

This doesn't mean you have to remain silent. Actors want you to respond with laughter and applause; but such responses should always be genuine and appropriate to the moment. Such inconsiderate behavior as shouting, catcalling or sustained whispering, even during blackouts, can ruin the concentration of actors and audience members alike. And throwing paper or objects of any kind towards the stage is not only rude, it's also extremely dangerous to the performers.

In the event of any student misbehavior, the relevant school will be contacted and its principal informed.

We want you to enjoy your visit to Seaside Music Theater, and we rely on you to exercise your common sense and mature judgment. Thank you for being a valuable part of our audience this season.

'As You Like It' is done as you'll like it
When most people think of Shakespeare, they think of heavy-going tragedy, of Hamlet's despair, of Lady Macbeth frantically trying to rid herself of her bloodstains, of Romeo and Juliet's tragic deaths.

SMT rings in season with 'As You Like It'
Orlando and Charles squared off, pacing warily. Then Charles (the Wrestler) goaded Orlando, sneering and wiggling his fingers in a "come and get me" taunt.