'AS YOU LIKE IT' A Community-Engaged Musical
A Musical Adaptation of William Shakespeare’s 'As You Like It' Adapted by Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery
Talkback with Original Cast Members Saturday, April 5 Following the Performance
As part of the UVA Department of Drama’s production of Shaina Taub’s musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s As You Like It this spring, we are excited to announce that on Saturday, April 5th, two members of the original cast of the Public Works production of the show for the Public Theater at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park – Joel Frost and UVA alumna Brianna Cabrera – will join us for a talkback after that night’s performance!
Brianna Cabrera is a UVA College of Arts and Sciences alumna. While studying sociology, she remained heavily engaged in the arts via the drama department and various student organizations. Cabrera went on to receive a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University, and is now a singer, actor, performing artist, and social worker based in NYC. She originated the role of Silvia in Shakespeare in the Park’s production of As You Like It. About UVA and returning to grounds for this production, Cabrera said:
"I loved my time at UVA! It was a time of great exploration, learning, and growth. Similar to my time at UVA, my time playing Silvia included quite a bit of leap-taking and gaining further trust in myself and my instincts.
Coming back to watch and support this production of As You Like It, and by extension an organization from home that I’ve been a part of since I was 16 years old, is a beautiful, full circle moment. I think everyone can find a little bit of themselves somewhere in this show, and that always leaves me with a greater sense of hope, love, and community."
Joel Frost is an actor, musician, and writer based in New York City. Frost and Cabrera have performed together in four Public Works productions for the Public Theater at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park: Twelfth Night (2018), Disney’s Hercules (2019), in which he originated the theatrical role of Nessus, As You Like It (2022), and The Tempest (2023). In the two latter productions, Frost's daughter Zoë and partner Naomi were also in the casts.
Directed by Guest Artist and UVA Drama alum Jessica Harris, Shaina Taub’s As You Like It, much like UVA Drama's 2022 production of Taub's adaptation of Twelfth Night, is a community-engaged production, meaning that the 40-person cast is composed of both UVA students and Charlottesville-area community members, many of whom are in local k-12 schools. These partnerships are an opportunity to invite our local community to join us in creating, spend time in our space, and experience a UVA production first-hand, while also offering UVA students both a broader view of the community of which our university is a part and the chance to be part of a cast that encompasses a broader range of ages, backgrounds, and experiences.
In addition to community members on the stage, at each performance, representatives from several local organizations focused on community support and improvement will be stationed in the Drama Building lobby to meet patrons and share information on their work and missions.
For more information about As You Like It and tickets, please visit https://drama.virginia.edu/as-you-like-it.
Supported by UVA Arts & the Office of the Provost & Vice Provost for the Arts
As You Like It is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.
As You Like It -- a community-engaged musical
Drama
The UVA Department of Drama prepares students to work in theatre by providing excellent training and interactions and fostering collaboration in coursework and productions.