SYNOPSIS

Act 1

In a Silicon-Valley-esque court in the late autumn, Oliver, the rich son of the late Sir Rowland de Boys, confronts his younger brother Orlando for busking in the street with their family’s elderly servant, Adam (“Second Son”). Orlando has been cut off from his family fortune, so he busks for money and to connect with his street musician friends. Oliver then conspires with the deadly Charles the Wrestler, encouraging him to kill Orlando in their upcoming match.

We then meet Celia, the daughter of Duke Frederick, and her cousin Rosalind. Rosalind’s father, Duke Senior, was exiled into the forest of Arden when his younger brother Duke Frederick usurped his position, but Rosalind was allowed to stay due to her close friendship with Celia. The court social secretary, Le Beau, invites Celia and Rosalind to Charles’ underground fight, which she emcees (“The Ballad of Charles the Wrestler”). To everyone’s surprise and Duke Frederick’s rage, the untrained Orlando defeats Charles and wins the match. Rosalind falls for him instantly, giving him one half of a pair of matched jewelry as a token of her affection. Le Beau warns Orlando that he should leave the Court to escape Duke Frederick’s anger. Rosalind is banished by the volatile Duke, and Celia runs away with her into the forest with the comedian Touchstone (“I’ll Go Along With Thee”). To move unnoticed, Celia disguises herself as a poor woman whom she names Aliena (from the Latin word for stranger), and Rosalind mysteriously insists upon disguising herself as a young man named Ganymede (named for a figure from Greek mythology, strongly symbolically associated with homosexuality). Adam warns Orlando of an ambush at his house, and the two flee into the forest to escape Oliver.

In the forest, Celia and Rosalind, now Ganymede, meet a park ranger named Corin, who helps set them up with a house to rent. They also meet Silvius, a young lesbian musician who is desperately in love with her apparently straight friend, Phebe (“You Have Not Loved”). We then meet Duke Senior and his community of homeless foresters and exiles, preparing for winter in the forest—including Jaques, an eccentric forester known for her philosophical and erratic behavior (“Under the Greenwood Tree”). Meanwhile, Adam weakens, and Orlando leaves him to find food. Orlando enters Duke Senior’s camp with misguided aggression, but he and Adam are gently welcomed and given food—but, sadly, the faithful Adam peacefully passes away by the fire (“Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind”).

Back at the Court, Duke Frederick and Charles torture Oliver and send him into the forest to retrieve Orlando.

Act 2

Months have passed, and spring comes. Ganymede finds terrible love poems written to Rosalind and hung on the trees(“Carry my Love to Me”). Celia reveals that the author is Orlando, and Ganymede wonders how best to interact with him while in their disguise. Ganymede and Orlando meet, Orlando not recognizing them, and Ganymede tells him they can cure his lovesickness if he comes to their house daily, pretends that they are Rosalind, and practices wooing “her” (“The Madness of Love”).

The witty Touchstone and the earthy Corin debate the merits of urban and rural life. Celia and Ganymede hide to watch Silvius fail to woo Phebe, until Ganymede explodes onto the scene, mocking and insulting them both. Phebe immediately talks herself into having a crush on Ganymede, believing them to be a man, and makes Silvius deliver them a letter (“Phebe’s Lament”). Touchstone simultaneously irritates and woos a tough local named Audrey through innuendo-laced song (“Springtime”).

As Ganymede waits for Orlando, they get to know Jaques. Ganymede berates Orlando for being late, lists reasons he and “Rosalind” shouldn't get married, denounces romance entirely, but still makes him promise to return (“Not for Love”). To win Audrey’s heart, Touchstone challenges “William,” an audience volunteer with whom he claims Audrey has a history. Silvius delivers Phebe’s aggressively romantic letter (“You Have Not Loved Reprise”) to an alarmed Ganymede. Oliver arrives, shaken, and tells Celia and Ganymede that he had pursued Orlando into the woods, but when Orlando risked his own life to rescue him from a mountain lion attack, Oliver repented his wicked ways. Oliver and Celia instantly fall in love and get engaged (“I’ll Go Along with Thee Reprise”). Orlando gives Oliver his approval to marry Celia, but is sad that he can’t himself marry Rosalind. Ganymede enters and announces that they will magically get everyone married to the right person the next day, and they make a bet with Phebe that they’ll marry her if she is still interested, but if not, she must marry Silvius. Everyone gathers for the wedding, and Ganymede reveals their true identity, coming out as nonbinary to an accepting Orlando in the process. Phebe, unwilling to marry Ganymede in light of this and so by the terms of the bet having to marry Silvius, finally realizes her repressed lesbianism, and happily goes along with the marriage. Jaques officiates the simultaneous weddings of Audrey and Touchstone, Celia and Oliver, Orlando and Ganymede, and Silvius and Phebe (“Wedding Medley”).

A messenger interrupts with news that Duke Frederick, who was coming to kill them all, met a religious hermit and was converted from his evil ways. Duke Senior and all our heroes are given back all that Duke Frederick stole from them. Jaques, more interested in the life of a hermit than in celebration, departs for her next adventure (“Finale”).