This week, Farrell Parker (Rosalind) shares a brief look into her process, approach to the text, and experience with the new music in our production.
Farrell Parker plays Rosalind in As You Like It
Emily MacLeod: What was your first impression of Rosalind, and how much has your perception of her shifted over the rehearsal process?
Farrell Parker: My first impression of Rosalind probably dates back to undergrad (when I first worked on a Rosalind/Phoebe scene in class). In that way, Rosalind feels like someone I met in college, that I’ve gotten to know and love over the years through different experiences I’ve had with her. I definitely initially thought Rosalind very put together and now I hope I’m letting her be a little messier.
EM: Rosalind spends much of the play in disguise as a boy called Ganymede. How do you approach that as an actor?
FP: Great question – it’s easy to get knotted up in the problem of this when you think about how the play would have been done “originally” – as a man playing a woman playing a man. Like AHH! I simplify the problem for myself by just relying on the text. The things Rosalind says as Ganymede, she wouldn’t say as Rosalind. And that’s mostly all I worry about playing.
As You Like It. By William Shakespeare. Brave Spirits Theatre. 2019. Directed by Jessica Aimone. Photo by Claire Kimball.
EM: What is your favorite part of the show to watch or to perform in right now? A moment for the audience to watch out for?
FP: Honestly this cast is so game and so great that there’s barely a part of the show that isn’t my favorite to perform. For the audience: Audrey is too fun to watch, as are the transitions from the forest to the court.
EM: Do you have a favorite musical moment in the play? How has the addition of the original music affected your interpretation of the role?
FP: I’m just so impressed with how Zach has written music that really highlights the individual voices of our cast members! When I first read the lyrics to Rosalind’s song, I got pretty emotional because I felt like they were actually so in line with my interpretation of the character – so it was great to know I was working with other artists who saw Rosalind as I saw her.
– Emily MacLeod, production dramaturg