This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. As for Burstyn, in what is in fact her first official try at Shakespeare, she plays a typically male role: the melancholy philosopher Jaques, who delivers the famous 'seven ages of man' monologue.ĭuring the course of a conversation with TheaterMania, Burstyn and De Shields found some fascinating points of connection regarding their experiences with Shakespeare and their worldviews.

Instead of tackling a lead role as he did with King Lear in a 2006 Classic Theatre of Harlem production, De Shields inhabits a supporting character: Touchstone, Duke Frederick's court jester and one of Shakespeare's wisest fools. The characters they play in As You Like It are slight departures for both performers as well. De Shields, by contrast, has earned his legendary reputation mostly as a stage actor in The Wiz and Ain't Misbehavin' and as a choreographer. While Burstyn has acted on Broadway before, she has largely made a name for herself on the big screen, in films like The Exorcist and Requiem for a Dream. Though the pair bring decades of acting experience to the production, their paths to this moment have been very different. On the surface, it seems like there's not much to bind Ellen Burstyn and André De Shields, who currently costar in John Doyle's new production of Shakespeare's As You Like It at Classic Stage Company.

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