Eric Pierre, a fifth grade English pastor in the Bronx, received another title this summer: royal duke. At least that’s the role he played on stage in Public Works produced “As You Like It.”
He was one of dozens of members of the community, ages 7 to 87 and from all five boroughs, to perform alongside a number of professional actors in the 90-minute musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy. . The performance, currently in preview, opens Tuesday at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.
Pierre plays the cruel Duke Frederick, who banishes his brother, along with others, to the Arden Woods in this tale of disguise, love, and self-discovery.
The role was not a natural fit for Pierre, who described the difficulty of portraying his nefarious character and attempted to define the pain involved in his quest for power. “We all have a Duke of Fred inside of us,” said Pierre, 49, who, through his Works performances, was able to join Equity, the professional actors association.
This production, a resumption of an acclaimed one made in 2017, as part of the Public Theater’s Public program, produced streamlined and musicalized versions of the songs. works – like “Storms“In 2013 and “Hercules” in 2019 – featuring amateur performers from eight partner groups, including Lucky Guild and Children’s Aid Association. These productions usually have a short run in September after the regular Shakespeare in the Park season. But this one was scheduled to run longer in the summer of 2020, before being delayed by the pandemic. Now, it’s finally on stage, through September 11, when Public Works celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Laurie Woolery, director of the show and Public Works, calls the diverse experiences and authenticity of the community forging their secret sauce.
“Theater is a reflection of humanity,” says Woolery, “and if we are only a partial reflection of humanity, we are not doing our job as citizen artists and culturists. We need to tell the world we live in – and that includes everyone. “
As the musical begins, husband and wife families – including community performers – step onto a stage filled with cherry blossom trees and a bridge illuminated with violet-violet light. Shaina Taub, the show’s composer and lyricist, also appeared on stage as a curious but cynical Jaques, who provides additional perspective and context to the audience. As she sings “All the World’s a Stage,” her character ponders the journey of young lovers Orlando and Rosalind (played by Ato Blankson-Wood and Rebecca Naomi Jones, famous professional actors. voices back to the roles they played in the 2017 production) about who they really are when they’re in disguise.
“A process of healing and growth is helping you to remove all expectations about the role you have to take on,” says Taub.
The musical is about themes of love and optimism, said Taub, a message that is especially important in a context of social division, disease and instability, Taub said.
“However, we will meet and sing and dance on the stage of Delacorte,” she added. “However, we would show up every day and tell the story and be nice to each other. The real feeling is this beautiful act of resistance.”
One of the other community performers, Lori Brown-Niang, who also received an Equity card, has built a second family with Public Works over the past decade. She said she remembers being relieved when women from the National Federation of Labor, a partner organization that elevates and mobilizes domestic workers of color, watched over her son. her child, JonPaul Niang, as she rehearsed her speech roles. In other cases, her son, who she describes as a “good cheerleader,” worked with older actors on dance moves and continued rehearsals in their Bronx backyard.
“Are we doing this?” Brown-Niang recalls asking his son. “Yes, Mom, we have to get used to singing and dancing outside.”
In “As You Like It,” Brown-Niang and her son, an 18-year-old sophomore at Hostos Community College, work together as puppeteers controlling their head and front legs. a lion challenges Orlando in the Forest of Arden.
“It has been a blessing to be able to raise my son, as a single mother, in this community,” she said.
Nestor Eversley joined Public Works this year as a member of Fortune Society, a partner organization that helps former incarcerated people reintegrate into society. Eversley, who has been incarcerated for 17 years, became interested in Public Works after seeing the 2019 film “Hercules” and said he wondered what it would be like to step on stage. (He admitted to underestimating the time committed to rehearsals.)
Eversley said: “On the street, you have to defend, look behind, all that sort of thing. “Here, it’s another world.”
Dressed in a pristine white suit, Eversley emerges as the old Orlando, married to the older Rosalind. The two united to walk, expressing their timeless love, beneath a decorative arch.
In the final issue, the stage was filled with rainbow colors, with the actors swaying as they sang “Still I Will Love”. It was a vibrant celebration and a testament to the power of community strength and devotion.
“Hopefully people leave theaters with a little more open heart,” Woolery said.
