The Independent Shakespeare Co. has returned to the old LA Zoo in Griffith Park for another summer season of free outdoor performances, this year with an immersive production of As You Like It. The play is performed for the first time in the round and makes use of the abandoned zoo facilities at the location.
The construction of a permanent performing arts space at the Old Zoo has left the Independent Shakespeare Co. without access to its usual temporary stage. And that spurred some innovations, said David Melville, co- founder of Independent Shakespeare Company and director of the production.
"We thought this time it would be interesting to explore the corners of the old zoo that we haven't used before. So there's the stage, but then there's also some pre-show things in the animal cages, and there's little stages around the performing area, and the audience will meet certain characters as they come to take their seats, it's vastly different from what we'd normally do," he said. The innovative setting helps break the play's fourth wall — a facet that Shakespeare's works lend themselves to, said actress Jacqueline Misaye, who plays Rosalind.
" It's so fabulous to be able to perform outdoors, to be under the trees. It feels very magical. So when we're in the round.
.. I'm going to be looking into the audience and looking for advice, asking an audience member, what do you think about this?" said Misaye .
The staging is also inspired the music of the jazz musician Al Bowlly and .
