Kristianne Kurner Directs "As You Like It" at New Village Arts in Carlsbad

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The Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery musical adaptation will run October 16 through November 29 in Carlsbad.

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New Village Arts will continue its 25th anniversary season with Shaina Taub and Laurie Woolery ’s musical adaptation of William Shakespeare ’s As You Like It , running October 16 through November 29 on the Ray Charles Stage.

The production will mark the final directing project at New Village Arts for founder and Executive Artistic Director Kristianne Kurner before her retirement. Kurner will also design the scenery.

Previews will run October 16–23, with opening night set for Saturday, October 24. A Dea Hurston Industry Night performance will take place Monday, November 9.

Featuring an adaptation by Taub and Woolery and music and lyrics by Taub, the musical follows Rosalind after she is banished from her uncle Duke Frederick’s court. She escapes to the Forest of Arden with her cousin Celia, where she encounters Orlando, the young man who captured her heart before her exile. Disguised and determined to create a new life, Rosalind becomes part of a tangle of mistaken identities, unexpected romances and new friendships.

The New Village Arts production will reimagine the court as the glitzy, image-conscious world of Hollywood, where appearances and status are paramount. The Forest of Arden will draw inspiration from Joshua Tree, becoming a free-spirited refuge where music flourishes and the characters can discover who they are.

“I’m thrilled to return to the Forest of Arden for my final show as a director with New Village Arts,” Kurner said. “ As You Like It is a celebration of a life in the arts and how we build community through love, music, and understanding. I couldn’t imagine a better team to work with for this journey and can’t wait to share this adaptation of Shakespeare’s most accessible work with our Village.”

Johnisa Breault will lead the cast as Rosalind, returning to New Village Arts for the first time since appearing in Leonard Bernstein ’s New York at The Flower Fields.

The cast will also feature Marlon Magtibay as Orlando, Nicole Warkentien as Celia, Kris Bona as Touchstone, Mary Rose Vadeboncoeur as Jaques, Max Macke as Duke Frederick, Ennis C Jackson as Duke Senior, Erica Marie Weisz as Phoebe and Hisperia, Gaby Ritter as Silvia, Jacob Lopez as Oliver, Phoenix Velona as Andy and Frankie Flow, Juwan Stanford as William and Caveman, Walter Murray as Adam, Referee and Papa Corin, Analia Romero as Agent, Mama Corin and Martext, Lena Palke as Young Jaques, Ensemble and an Ardenite, and Nolan LeMay as Bronco.

Jaymes Macabale and Sarah Ledesma will serve as understudies.

Members of the cast will create the music of Arden by playing piano, guitar, ukulele, cello, cajón, drums and bass live onstage.

The production will also feature New Village Arts’ Mainstage Players Reid Moriarty, Emily Sandoval, Ethan Marr, Max Lecanu-Fayet, Stephanie Monis and Rachel Ford as the Royal Minions. The Mainstage Players program provides professional theatrical training opportunities for artists with developmental disabilities and neurodiversity.

Kurner’s creative team includes music director Angela Parrish, choreographer Nikki Antoine, stage manager Rosalee Barrientos, props designer Cassie Langan, Costume Designer Anabel Olguin-Natale, makeup and wig designer Amber St. James, lighting designer Curtis Mueller, sound designer Malick Ceesay, fight choreographer and band leader Nolan LeMay, intimacy director Sarah Jane Salonga and assistant director Gwyn Torio.

The team also includes scenic construction by Jesus Hurtado, assistant stage manager Madison Novitski, stage manager swing Astrid Pett, costume assistants Alexis Ordonez and Marykate Reeves-Hoche, assistant sound designer Mitra, scenic painter Zachary Elliott, sound engineer Marcus Rico and master carpenter Chris Renda.

As You Like It will run October 16 through November 29 at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center in Carlsbad. Performances will take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., with Friday, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

Single tickets are now on sale and range from $45 to $85. Visit NewVillageArts.org for tickets and additional information.

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/AS-YOU-LIKE-IT-to-Open-at-New-Village-Arts-in-Carlsbad-20260922)._