‘As You Like It’ coming to NMSU

William Shakespeare wrote “As You Like” in 1599. The NMSU Theatre Department’s production opens 424 years later – Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023, for a six-performance run at the ASNMSU Center for the Arts, 1000 E. University Ave.

“The play is also about the ridiculous and inspiring lengths we go to for love,” said assistant professor Larissa Lury, who directed the play. “The characters are willing to leave behind everything they’ve ever known to follow their love. They are even willing to help their love woo someone else, because maybe just maybe it will bring them closer to their love.”

The cast of 20 includes NMSU students and community members. Theatre Department Assistant Professor Lisa Hermanson composed original music for the production.

The music has “an indie folk vibe for the songs Shakespeare wrote for the play. We’ve got acoustic guitar, ukuleles, upright bass and violin, all played live by the cast,” Lury said.

“One of the draws of working on this play is imagining what it would be like to be able to willingly leave the rules of the world as we know it behind, and to live in some romantic idea of a forest, where we get a fresh start to create the kind of society we want to live in,” she said.

A preview performance of “As You Like It” begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2. It will be followed by a Q&A with the cast and crew.

Regular performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Nov. 3-4 and 10-11 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12.

Tickets to the preview performance are $10 (free to all students). Tickets for all other performances are $20 general admission, $16 for students, seniors and military and $10 for ages 18 and under.

For tickets, visit theatre.nmsu.edu. Click on “Performances & Events” and “Our Current Season,” scroll down to “As You Like It” and click on “Get Your Tickets Here!” Tickets are also available at the door before each performance. Call the box office at 575-646-4515.