Shakespearean Comedy Coming To Your Living Room Live

CHESTER COUNTY, PA – William Shakespeare's "As You Like It," performed by a local theater company, is coming to YouTube live. The Phoenix Theatre is celebrating the summer with an online production of Shakespeare's comedy. The company’s apprentices will take the virtual stage for the online production as it streams live July 10-12.

The shows are free. Saturday's performance is at 7 p.m. and the Sunday performance is at 2 p.m.

"This is not the summer we imagined, a pandemic, protests and the world in upheaval," said Phoenix Theatre co-Founder and Development Director Jessica Mhyr Reich. "We wanted to showcase and celebrate our apprentices, they’ve grown so much this past year."

Reich said the virtual production was a great way to honor the company's apprentices and uplift our community during challenging times. She said, "We also want to make an impact in our community and will be donating all proceeds to The Black Lives Matter movement."

"As You Like It" has all the elements of a classic Shakespeare comedy and makes for fun viewing for a summer day. The play is a Shakespearean favorite, featuring wise fools, a magical forest, cross-dressing, young love, and surprises.

The cast of the show includes: Emma Apple, Ryan Cassidy, Amanda Clark, Hannah Cohen, Bailey Denmark, Kelsey Hébert, Taylor Morgan,Samantha Smith, Becca Stehle, and Lauryn Swavely. They will all be performing live through Zoom and it will be broadcast on YouTube. The play is directed by The Phoenix Theatre Resident Company. The Stage and Production Manager is Andrés Gallardo Bustillo.

Lydia Joy Carswell is the Scenic Designer. She has created digital backgrounds for the performance. Phoenix Theatre Artistic Director Seth Reich composed original music for the production. Kennedy Gabb is the Sound Designer. Marcus Barainyak is the Lighting Designer.

Phoenix Theatre Company co-founder Jessica Myhr Reich is the Costume Designer. Michael Hajek is the Props Designer. Michael Howson is the Production Assistant and Assistant Stage Manager.

The Phoenix Theatre is a professional,501c3 non-profit theater company dedicated to building and inspiring community, according to a media release. The theater company strives to tell stories that encourage audiences to see the world in a new light and rise to action. Its media release states the company is "committed to making people laugh, cry, and cheer by re-envisioning and reinvigorating the classics that have shaped the theatrical world as we know it."

The Phoenix Theatre will be taking donations for the Black Lives Matter global network www.blacklivesmatter.com. Audiences can connect to the YouTube link from the company's
website at www.thephoenixtheatrepa.com.