Sitting in the Laurie Theater in Spingold awaiting the start of Brandeis Theater Company's next theatrical venture, I became anxious thinking of the possible ways in which either the players, the production or the audience might miss the mark. After all, it's Shakespeare-and a comedy no less. In a class setting, Shakespeare is easy to comprehend with a book in hand and an instructor leading the discussion. On stage, in front of a 21st-century audience, it's fair to say that some of the theatergoers are well-equipped to laugh heartily at Shakespeare's wordplay, while others are well-equipped to flip restlessly through the program. Fifteen minutes into the play, however, no one was looking for a distraction. Charles the wrestler, played by Ilya Sobol '08, had made his entrance, jumping forcefully onto a desk, ripping his shirt-Oe la Hulk Hogan-and bidding, in Russian, the two wrestling divas clad in minidresses to "come dance, girls." The scene was a cross between a WWE match and an exclusive, upscale party with entertainment that would be appropriate for that kind of decadence.

Another early promising moment came in the scene directly before this with the introduction of Rosalind and Celia, played by MFA Theater graduate students Ramona Alexander '08 and Sara Oliva '08. The two female leads were featured clasped in each other's embrace, announcing to the audience that the production would be going with the "kissing cousins" interpretation of the play. The scene highlighted the clever set design, which was refreshingly minimal with a few high-tech, innovative features like two television screens on either side of the stage and a series of opaque, knobless doors located downstage which could turn inward serving as an entrance, exit, prop and location.

Throughout the performance, Alexander recited Rosalind/Ganymede's lines with such a speed and flow that it was as though each quip was a lyric in song, and Oliva's physicality delivered the humor a Shakespearian comedy promises.

An aspect the audience may not have expected, whether familiar with Shakespearian productions or not, was the musical element of the play. The production featured a group of talented troubadours, played by Sierra Kagen '09, Kara Manson '08, Vicki Schairer '09, Abby Trott '08, Rebecca Webber '08 and Sam Zelitch '09, who played their own instruments and whose melodies were pleasantly reminiscent of indie folk. Their appearance was always welcome and their performance was always impressive. In fact, the entire cast was impressive, rendering the tired cliché, "There are no small roles, only small actors," true.

If there were a shortcoming to BTC's As You Like It, it would be in the intensity that some scenes were performed with, leaving the audience confused as to the play's status as a comedy. Also, while the production had no hesitation in portraying the quasi-lesbian relationship of Celia and Rosalind, they seemed to hold off on the sexual ambiguity of Ganymede (Rosalind) and Orlando's relationship, withholding some of the comedic and provocative elements their affair could have provided.

The variations with which a theater group may attempt to put on a Shakespearian play are, needless to say, vast. Modernization, a way to use glitz and flash to invite a reluctant audience into the spectacle, is a popular tactic. But even so, success is not guaranteed. Attempts are made, and many a time they simply don't work. The audience leaves the show condemning the man whom literature has put on a pedestal, questioning his fame and academic prestige.

Luckily, the same didn't happen Thursday night. Instead, the audience left the Laurie Theater thoroughly entertained, reflecting on the production's ingenuity, the cast's talent and feeling grateful to the playwright who they wrote off in high school.