Fools in the Forest
Presented by Ladies & Fools at The Little Shakespeare Festival
August 3, 8, 16 2024 ~ UNDER St. Marks
Holla, you clown!
Ever wondered what would happen if the exiled ladies and fools of
As You Like It never reconnected with the Duke and his lords? In fact, what if the male love interests of the play vanished altogether? Fools in the Forest reframes the sparkling comedy and wry commentary of Shakespeare’s text to focus more intimately on the most witty, unconventional, and fascinating figures of Arden: Rosalind, Celia, Touchstone, Jaques, and Phebe. This reimagined story weaves a tale of finding community, opening up to new adventures, and – as always – hanging a great deal of letters on trees.
Created & Directed by Natalie Kane,
from text by William Shakespeare
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Stage Managed by Abby Kastenberg
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Fools in the Forest, 2024
Natalie Kane (she/her, Creator & Director) is a New York-based director and dramaturg passionate about expanding the definition of classical theatre and introducing resonant plays to new audiences. Favorite credits include All the Daughters of Viola's House (So Many Shakespeares Festival), Dinosaur on the Moon (WTFringe), The Winter’s Tale (Evergreen Theatre Collective), and Lady Percy Will Not Sing (Shakespeare Moves Festival). Natalie has directed and assisted for not-for-profit theatres including The Growing Stage, Gloucester Stage, Shakespeare Theatre of NJ, and Gingold Theatrical Group. She currently facilitates the research committee for Hedgepig Ensemble Theatre's Expand the Canon initiative.
Meet the Cast
Maya Barbon (she/her) is an actor and storyteller who caught the Shakespeare bug at ten years old and never recovered. Thrilled to be making her NYC debut, previous credits include Hermia, Benedict, and 3 years as a Company Member of the Ensemble Shakespeare Theatre in LA.
What draws you to classical text?
I love being able to take classic texts with their beautiful words that carry so much depth and emotion, and to recontextualize them in modern voices and bodies to
tell stories that are relevant and necessary for us today.
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What's your favorite aspect of Jaques?
I love the way that Jaques grapples with things, trying to make sense of the chaos
of the world and her place in it all --- usually by talking someone’s ear off.
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Do you have a prior connection to As You Like It?
Right before Covid I was set to play Orlando, but the lockdown shut down that project. I’m excited to to be revisiting As You Like It, this time through Jaques’ melancholy eyes, and so glad I still get to hang at least one letter on a tree.
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If you were to spinoff a group of Shakespearean characters from
another play, which would you choose?
Love's Labour's Lost!
Maya Barbon
Jaques
Maya Barbon (she/her) is an actor and storyteller who caught the Shakespeare bug at ten years old and never recovered. Thrilled to be making her NYC debut, previous credits include Hermia, Benedict, and 3 years as a Company Member of the Ensemble Shakespeare Theatre in LA.
Abby Kastenberg (she/her) is primarily a stage manager, but is thrilled to return to acting for Fools in the Forest! Previous Credits include: Merry Wives of Windsor (Fever Dream Rep), All That Fall (IRC), A Seance For Mae West, and But Not Uncle Vanya (Aporia Artists Collective), Romeo and Juliet, and Twelfth Night (Indecorous).
What draws you to classical comedy?
I fell in love with Shakespeare as a kid watching a middle school production of Midsummer. I loved the hijinks and the lovers quarrels, and it all just spiraled from there!
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What resonates with you about Touchstone?
Touchstone is a character who goes against the grain of what is expected from
someone at court. They carved out a role for themselves when they couldn't find something else that fit, and I really strive to bring that into my own life.
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Do you have a history with As You Like It?
I love As You Like It! Aside from being one of my favorite Shakespeare plays,
I stage managed a particularly chaotic outdoor production of it my senior year
of college. It's been so wonderful getting to revisit it!
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If you were to spinoff a group of Shakespearean characters from
another play, which would you choose?
Much Ado About Nothing!
Abby Kastenberg
Touchstone
What draws you to classical theatre?
I love the language!
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What's your favorite aspect of Phebe?
I love that Phebe cares more about friendship than about meh romantic prospects.
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Do you have a prior connection to As You Like It?
I played Amiens and Corin eight years ago at a course showcase at LAMDA.
So I got to recycle songs I'd written and some text I knew!
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Do you have a favorite line in the show?
I think he is not a pick-purse nor a horse-stealer, but for his verity in love
I do think him as concave as a covered goblet or a worm-eaten nut.
Amy Pan
Phebe
Amy Pan (she/her) is an actor and a playwright. Recent beloved roles include Gracie Chen in "Lobe Yourself" (currently in film festivals) and Comrade Chin in Woodstock Playhouse's M. Butterfly. She will be playing Grace in Tourist Trap at the upcoming Samuel French short play festival.
Maya Barbon (she/her) is an actor and storyteller who caught the Shakespeare bug at ten years old and never recovered. Thrilled to be making her NYC debut, previous credits include Hermia, Benedict, and 3 years as a Company Member of the Ensemble Shakespeare Theatre in LA.
Christine Vapsva (she/her) is a progressive political campaigner who's so grateful to create art with this amazing team. Recent roles include Agnes in She Kills Monsters and Sebastian in The Tempest, both with
the Staten Island Shakespeare Theatre.
What draws you to classical comedy?
Though his vocab isn't always timeless, Shakespeare's ideas are. That's especially clear in a reimagined piece like Fools in the Forest, where the original language can take on new context and meaning while feeling just as true.
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What resonates with you about Celia?
I love the way our Celia wears her heart on her sleeve and lets it guide her.
Though she doesn't always have the EASIEST time in Arden, her ability to love
and be vulnerable ultimately lead her to her happy ending.
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Do you have a history with As You Like It?
As You Like It is the first Shakespeare play I ever read, walking to the public library each week for a group reading of another scene! It holds a very special place in my heart.
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Do you have a favorite line in the show?
I forsee "I do desire we may be better strangers"
getting a lot of use from me going forward.
Christine Vapsva
Celia
What draws you to classical text?
The musicality of Shakespearean text excites me!
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What's your favorite aspect of Rosalind?
I'm inspired by Rosalind's boldness. She is fiercely brave and loves deeply.
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Do you have a prior connection to As You Like It?
I've always wanted to work on As You Like It! I'm thrilled to be part of this project.
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Do you have a favorite line in the show?
All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players...
Rebecca-Anne Whittaker
Rosalind
Rebecca-Anne Whittaker (she/her) is a Caribbean-American actor, singer, and writer. Some of her favorite past credits include: Betty in The Good John Proctor, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, and Marianne in Constellations.
Thank You
for your support
The Little Shakespeare Festival is curated by Conor Mullen and produced by
Thank You to Conor Mullen, Sam Hood Adrain, Erez Ziv,
Cameron Marcotte, and the entire Frigid team
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Fools in the Forest is presented by
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Special thanks to Emily Owens, Shakes People in Exile,​
and the cast of All the Daughters of Viola's House
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