Lantern Theater's 'As You like It': Loud, slapsticky, whoop-it-up

One of Shakespeare's goofier comedies,

As You Like It,

is currently whooping it up at the Lantern Theater Company under Charles McMahon's direction.

The plot is so far-fetched as to be hardly tellable, with subplot piled on subplot. It's all about love, of course, heart-stopping, love-at-first-sight, younger-than-springtime love. Rosalind (Liz Filios) and Celia (Ruby Wolf) are best friends, so when Celia's mean father, the Duke (Kirk Wendell Brown), who has already exiled Rosalind's nice father, the Duke (Kirk Wendell Brown), banishes Rosalind, Celia vows to go with her.

But before they leave, there's a wrestling match (kudos to fight choreographer J. Alex Cordaro) between a professional bone-crusher (Chris Anthony) and our hero, Orlando (the excellent Jake Blouch), who is smitten with Rosalind as suddenly and completely as she is with him.

Off the girls go, escorted by the Fool, Touchstone (J Hernandez, whose suitcase routine is worthy of Buster Keaton). They wind up in the Forest of Arden, an idyllic natural world that stands in contrast to the artificial opulence of the Court (none of which is even remotely suggested here, rendering the contrast mute if not moot). Well, complications arise, as they do in comedies, and they are happily sorted out, as they are in comedies.

In contrast to the general mirth, Jaques (the estimable Frank X, who makes the famous "Seven Ages of Man" speech his own) is a misanthrope who remains in Arden while the shepherds and shepherdesses return, presumably, to their flocks, and everybody else goes home to the luxury of the Court.

The production is slapsticky and loud, with the speech often unintelligible, and with oddly mismatched costumes - sometimes Victorian London, sometimes California hippie. There is entirely too much shoving and pushing and slapping. There are amusing contemporary touches - funny asides to the audience, and body language that is distinctly 21st century - but they distract from the play. Most distracting are the long musical interludes with the characters' playing a variety of instruments and singing Shakespeare's lovely and delicate songs, here given an unsuitably showbiz sound.

Through April 17. Lantern Theater Company, 10th & Ludlow Sts., Tickets: $15-39. Information: 215-829-0395, www.lanterntheater.org.