As part of Mead’s Shakespeare production tradition, we, the Teen Center, derived our own theme for the play,"As You Like It".  We used this theme to structure our entire production.  Every set design, costume, hairstyle, makeup, lighting and music choice has been deliberately chosen to reflect our theme, which is: stereotyping happens when you do not know what to expect.            
   
    We spent a full trimester analyzing the play.  We focused on Shakespeare’s portrayal of life at court versus life in the country. We analyzed the people living in each place and how they treated people from the opposite environment.  Here we developed our theme.  We found that Shakespeare’s characters in "As You Like It" often stereotyped each other.  Through the eyes of the characters at court, the country folk appeared uncivilized, unclean and unintelligent.  Through the eyes of the country-folk, the court characters appeared stuck-up, arrogant, egotistical and power-hungry.
   
    Shakespeare was satirizing these perspectives.  His characters often openly contradict themselves and their stereotypes through their thoughts and actions.  For example, the character, Celia, is the stereotypical spoiled child but is also very independent and intellectual.  Touchstone, who is a stereotypical court jester, is clever but clownish.  He is lovesick but unromantic.  He is intellectually progressive but narrow-minded about women.  Oliver, who just wants power, is also lovesick and dedicated.  Orlando, the stereotypical heroic figure, is strong, brave and heroic, but also embarrassed and gullible.  These are just some of the contradictions expressed through these characters.             
   
    In "As You Like It", Shakespeare satirizes not only love, but power as well.  With his characters’ contradictions, Shakespeare makes a statement that love can take anyone by surprise.  In Shakespeare’s time, many of the conflicts and political turmoil were caused by people’s fear of losing their power.  Oliver and Frederick, two high-status, powerful people, are both afraid of losing their power, so they turn on family members and become tyrants.  Shakespeare satirizes both power and fear while showing how either situation can make a person vulnerable. 
   
    Shakespeare himself experienced some of the court and country in his own life.  He grew up in the country, and his father was a wool merchant.  There is an actual “Forest of Arden” in England, and it is situated next to Stratford-Upon-Avon, in Warwickshire, where Shakespeare was raised.  Arden was his mother’s family name; Shakespeare romped in this forest as a young lad.  When he worked at London’s Globe Theatre, he was thrust into the Royal Court.  His plays relied on the approval of the monarchy to be performed.  The Royal Court demanded plays on specific topics, and Shakespeare only had a couple of weeks to write them.  He had the unique opportunity to have been a part of the court and the country lifestyles.  Therefore, he could satirize them easily in "As You Like It".  
   
    "As You Like It" is one of Shakespeare’s later plays; it was written in 1599.  At the time, all actors were male.  Because of this, it was not odd for the character, Rosalind, to pretend to be a man.  It was uncommon, though, for a female character to give the epilogue.  Here, Shakespeare dared to bring an unconventional choice to his play.  Do not underestimate the risk that Shakespeare took here.  The title, "As You Like It", refers to the fact that, in 1599, various playwrights competed with each other to include the “next new thing,” and Shakespeare was under tremendous pressure to provide entertainment that included a bit of what every audience desired, thus the title, "As You Like It".
   
    "As You Like It" is a high comedy.  High comedy consists of satire and witty language.  It is called high comedy, because it was supposed that only high-class people could understand it.  Low comedy consists of slapstick and buffoonery.  Low comedy is also known as farce.  Low comedy’s name, like high comedy, has to do with the status of the people who enjoy it.  Although, as the title of this play suggests, there is a little something for everyone to enjoy in this play.            
   
    We, as teens, are very sensitive to stereotyping.  It affects all of us.  We are at an age when we are trying to individualize ourselves; stereotyping just takes away from our personal identity.  Stereotyping can come from anyone.  It can come from peers or even family members.  We all think this is an important message to bring to people’s awareness.  Stereotyping happens all the time.  We care that you, the audience, notice how teens are especially stereotyped in our society.  We care also that you notice how this theme is universal, and that it was as relevant in Shakespeare’s time as it is in ours.