Theatre Department Awes Audiences with Sustainable Production of As You Like It
The CSW Theatre Department put on Shakespeare's As You Like It for their Fall Theatre Production, taking on the extra challenge of making the production as eco-conscious as possible.
The goal was to construct the set, scenery, and costumes completely out of recycled cardboard and donated materials. "It was a grand experiment and part of a quest for sustainable theatre making," said Theatre Department Chair Emily Ranii in her Director's Note.
The decision to use cardboard to recreate the world of As You Like It further emphasized the "story of how Duke Frederick's court puts these characters in a box, which contrasts to the freedom and imagination the characters experience in the Forest of Arden," Emily explains.
Early on in the Fall, the Theatre Department put out a call for cardboard donations and the CSW community did not disappoint. When the Props Team went to assess the feasibility of their goal, and weighed the amount of cardboard they had received, the quantity came in at 585 pounds. All that was purchased for the production were tools (X-Acto knives, scissors, and wrenches), fasteners (glue, tape, staples, velcro tape, sticky tack, and rope), cardboard-colored base layers (leggings and t-shirts), butcher paper, a metal cart, and a few small props. When CSW purchased a new cyclorama (that beautiful new curtain across the back of the stage), the Design Teams repurposed the old cyclorama into costumes and scenery.
Sustainability efforts aside, the cast and crew of As You Like It blew audiences away with their artful performance. Congratulations to all involved!
Click here to view the show program.
The decision to use cardboard to recreate the world of As You Like It further emphasized the "story of how Duke Frederick's court puts these characters in a box, which contrasts to the freedom and imagination the characters experience in the Forest of Arden," Emily explains.
Early on in the Fall, the Theatre Department put out a call for cardboard donations and the CSW community did not disappoint. When the Props Team went to assess the feasibility of their goal, and weighed the amount of cardboard they had received, the quantity came in at 585 pounds. All that was purchased for the production were tools (X-Acto knives, scissors, and wrenches), fasteners (glue, tape, staples, velcro tape, sticky tack, and rope), cardboard-colored base layers (leggings and t-shirts), butcher paper, a metal cart, and a few small props. When CSW purchased a new cyclorama (that beautiful new curtain across the back of the stage), the Design Teams repurposed the old cyclorama into costumes and scenery.
Sustainability efforts aside, the cast and crew of As You Like It blew audiences away with their artful performance. Congratulations to all involved!
Click here to view the show program.
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.