Dorn In Shakespeare Play
2 min read
Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine‘s Michael Dorn is now appearing in a production of William Shakespeare‘s As You Like It.
The actor, best-known to Trek fans as the Klingon Worf, will be taking on two separate roles in the play.
Dorn will be portraying brothers Duke Frederick and Duck Senior in the Shakespeare Center’s production of As You Like It.
“It’s a very good play,” said Dorn. “Shakespeare is pretty brilliant. This play was written in the 16th century, but the things that we say (on stage), interestingly enough, are the things that are still happening today. I think that people will clue into Shakespeare.”
This production of As You Like It is “set in present day Los Angeles with the Forest of Arden now the local orange groves and the Angeles Crest Forest campgrounds. The storyline remains intact, relating how Duke Frederick has banished Duke Senior from the kingdom in a power play. Duke Senior then works to create a new life in the forest with the people who have voluntarily exiled with him until his brother realizes the error of his ways.”
“I identify with the Duke Senior because I’m going through an interesting part of my life right now,” said Dorn. “Nothing major, but just looking at life and looking at how I look at life and how I look at people,” Dorn said. “I’ve always been optimistic and always sort of easygoing and naive in a lot of ways. Duke Senior is not naive, but he’s trying to make something out of a bad situation.”
Military veterans are involved in the production of As You Like It; as performers, backstage crew and front of house staff.
As You Like It will be running through July 29 at the Japanese Garden on the grounds of the Veterans Administration West Los Angeles. Ticket information can be found here.
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Set in LA? With orange groves and a campground for the wild arcadia that is the Forest of Arden?? Truly absurd. Guess they didnt want to spend on costumes and sets. Michael must do better.
Why not see it before you judge. Oh and for your information a great deal of money was spent on the costumes. You must do better and criticise from a position of knowledge rather then ignorance.
“Duck Senior”?? Waugh! Ten demerits for the proofreader!
Shakespeare is extremely flexible. There have been many adaptations which used different settings, time periods and costumes. Often this is done to make the Bard more accessible and understandable to people who might otherwise be daunted by the rich and dense dialogue.
So I cordially invite you to go see the damn play. If that’s too much effort, check out half of Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespeare adaptations, which are set in different periods, or even Romeo+Juliet, which while extremely florid and rather silly, is a good example of changing the setting to bring a classic to a new audience.