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Chantilly High School thrust Shakespeare’s As You Like It into modern corporate America, blending workplace image-making and family tension with the comedy’s disguises, romantic confusion, and woodland escape.

William Shakespeare wrote the play in 1599, and it was published in 1623. The story follows Rosalind after her uncle banishes her from court. Accompanied by her loyal cousin Celia, she ventures into the Forest of Arden in pursuit of Orlando while disguised as a man for protection.

Hidden identities soon collide with complicated romances and family turmoil. Chantilly’s adaptation recasts that 16th-century chaos around corporate life, where public perception and personal loyalties add a contemporary edge to the developing love story.

Elle Galhouse brought humor, sarcasm, and warmth to Rosalind. Her deliberate delivery made the Shakespearean language clear, while her sharp comic timing gave centuries-old lines an accessible wit.

As Orlando, Isabella Caltagirone used crisp diction and expressive movement to convey the character’s passionate devotion. Galhouse and Caltagirone shared convincing chemistry, capturing how Rosalind and Orlando’s relationship changes as they navigate separation, disguise, and uncertainty.

Lorelei Doran provided standout comic relief as Touchstone. Through physical comedy and vocal delivery, Doran refreshed jokes that could otherwise feel dated and turned Touchstone into a vivid, fully realized character.

The production’s design reinforced its central contrast. Led by Peyton Dunham, Lily Fry, and Polina Radu, the set team sharply separated the polished corporate world from the Arden campgrounds. A water tower, camper, and outhouse helped establish the outdoor setting, while bold shapes, bright colors, layered textures, and weathered finishes strengthened the atmosphere.

Clare Colburn’s sound design added the background noises of each location without distracting from the action, subtly drawing the audience further into both sides of Chantilly’s reimagined world.

With committed performances and a detailed modern setting, Chantilly transformed As You Like It into an energetic story of corporate pressures, tangled relationships, and young love.