The Niles North Theatre Department is set to present their final play of the year, “As You Like It”, this week on April 28-30 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Drama Performance Center. There will also be a free community performance at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 28. Tickets will be sold at the box office for $10.

“As You Like It” is one of the many William Shakespeare romantic comedies spotlighting love and forgiveness, dukes and shepherdesses, country life and courtly etiquette. The premise of the play starts off with Rosalind, the daughter of a banished duke falls in love with Orlando. When she is banished from the court, Rosalind calls herself Ganymede and travels with her cousin Celia and the jester Touchstone to the Forest of Arden, where her father and his friends live in exile. New friends are made and families are reunited. By the end of the play Ganymede, once again Rosalind, marries Orlando. Orlando and Rosalind, Oliver and Celia, Silvius and Phebe, and Touchstone and Audrey all are married in the final scene.

“I play Rosalind, the heroine of the play, and she is hailed as one of Shakespeare’s most well-written women characters. Being cast as one of the leads of the play and being able to explore the Shakespearean language and its history has been the most interesting part,” Katie Bean, senior, said.

This year’s performance has casted Violette Shearer as Duke Senior, Ari Bearman as Amiens, Yourtana Sulaiman as Melancholy Jacques, Joseph Nagler as Duke Frederick, Florence Loach as Le Beau, Ari Bearman as Charles, Joseph Nagler as Jacques de Boys, Callie Folke as Adam, David Stasevsky as Touchstone, Tiselle Talaboc as Sir Oliver Martext, Lizzy Soglin as Corin, Michael Small as Silvius, Vaughn Celdran as William, Katie Bean as Rosalind, Nina Codell as Celia, Anajé Silva as Phebe, and Lena Folke as Audrey. Ensemble: Mary Awaysho, Vaughn Celdran, Oren Efergan, Sara Gentry, Florence Loach, and Tiselle Talaboc.

“As You Like It’ is a warm-hearted play about not only finding love, but also about enjoying the beauty of nature and finding peace. Audiences will sure enjoy this one!” Violette Shearer, senior, said.

Don’t miss out on Niles North’s last play of the school year this week from April 28-30 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m in the Drama Performance Center. For further questions, contact the box office at (847) 626-2122 or go to www.nntheatre.com.