Photo Flash: The Queen's Company Presents All-Female William Shakespeare's AS YOU LIKE IT

The Queen's Company, New York City's acclaimed all-female classical theater company, presents William Shakespeare's As You Like It, directed by The Queen's Company Artistic Director Rebecca Patterson. As You Like It runs from tonight, May 4 through May 20, 2012 in a limited engagement at Walkerspace, located at 46 Walker Street between Broadway and Church Street in Tribeca. Previews begin tonight, May 4 for a May 5 opening. See photos from the all-female production of AS YOU LIKE IT below!

After a violent South American coup drives the rightful ruler into the forest of Arden, lovers, philosophers and fools flee the dangerous court in search of safety. Provocative and playful, Shakespeare's dark comedy As You Like It explores the paradoxical powers of love, domination, revenge and forgiveness. Featuring The Queen's Company's critically acclaimed all-female cast, the group promises a surprising and refreshing retelling of one of Shakespeare's most beloved works.

The cast includes Tiffany Abercrombie, Elisabeth Ahrens, Virginia Baeta, Julia Campanelli, Amy Driesler, Sarah Hankins, Natalie Lebert, Heather MacDonald, Kristin McCarthy Parker and Annie Paul.

The design team includes Rohit Kapoor (Set Design), Isabella F. Byrd (Lighting Design), Anna Lacivita (Costume Design), Ien DeNio (Sound Design) and Rin Allen (Fight Choreography). Jeanne Travis is the Production Stage Manager and composer of Shakespeare's "blow, blow," an original song in the show.

Joyful. Bold. Sexy. Funny. Elegant. Explosive. Riveting. The Queen's Company is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation of innovative productions of classical plays featuring all-female casts. Their work is known for its exquisite use of language, bold physicality, creative storytelling and artistic playfulness that interweaves music and movement sequences with the classical text. Founded in 2000, they've presented twelve critically acclaimed productions directed by founding Artistic Director Rebecca Patterson. They advocate gender-blind casting in classical theatre.

Rebecca Patterson is the Artistic Director of The Queen's Company. Past Queen's Company productions include The Wonder, Twelfth Night, The Taming of the Shrew, Edward II, School For Scandal, Much Ado About Nothing, The Lucky Chance, Antony & Cleopatra, The Feign'd Courtesans, The Duchess of Malfi, The Rover and Macbeth. Patterson's other NYC directing credits include Wapato (Women's Project), Greeks & Centaurs (Women's Project), The Gabriels (SPF) and The Imaginary Invalid (Resonance Ensemble). In 2010 she received a Lucille Lortel Award by the League of Professional Theatre Women for her direction in The Wonder and her longstanding body of work.

Rebecca Patterson states, "There are many compelling reasons for all-female casts in classical plays, the most obvious being the wealth of untapped talent and interpretations of our female actors. When we start talking about the humanity of a character with their own particular mix of male and female characteristics, that's when things become exciting. There are many examples of classical productions with predominantly male casts. Our aesthetic is neither better nor worse. It is simply different. It allows for a diversity of voices, insights and access, enriching our understanding and enjoyment of classical plays."

Performances are Tuesdays - Saturdays at 7:30pm and Sundays at 3pm with an additional matinee on Saturday, May 19 at 2pm. A post-show discussion with Rebecca Patterson and the cast will follow the Sunday, May 13 performance. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at http://www.SmartTix.com or by calling 212-868-4444. Tickets are 2 for 1 on Wednesday nights. The running time is 2 hours and 20 minutes including intermission. For more information on the company visit http://www.QueensCompany.org. Walkerspace is accessible from the #1 train to Franklin St., J, M, Z, N, Q, R, W, 6 trains to Canal St., and A, C, E trains to Canal-Church Sts.

Photo credit: Bob Pileggi