Shakespeare Gets Updated Staging

It’s Shakespeare meets Beach Blanket Bingo.

The Moorpark College performing arts program is staging a modern version of Shakespeare’s classic “As You Like It.” Well, it’s sort of modern. It’s set in the ‘70s.

Three years ago, Moorpark College theatrical teachers envisioned making their performing arts program a year-round effort. The first year, there were just three productions as part of the Moorpark College Summer Arts Festival, but the weekend performance series this year has already completed two productions and will usher in three more. The first of these is “As You Like It.”

The production is set in the early 1970s with the California surfer scene as the backdrop.

“We’re not trying to revisit the Vietnam War,” said director Eric Augusztiny. “The intention is to take a look at the rite of passage of young men and women, and the trappings of their parents, seeking out their own identities in the greater world.”

The idea is to help today’s audiences relate to the story by placing it in a more modern setting. The cast includes first-time actors from the college’s theater department. Many want to pursue careers in theater.

John Koladziej, who will attend New York University’s prestigious theater school, has been acting for 11 years. He says the Summer Arts Festival gives him a fresh perspective on his art.

The festival has two specific goals: to give incoming students from high schools an opportunity to see what the school is about and to reach out to the community.

The play will be staged at Moorpark College’s Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and Aug. 3 to Aug. 5, and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 6. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $8 for students, $6 for seniors and children. For more information, call 378-1485.