By Haylie Medina 

The Calhoun High School On Tour Company is beginning its 2025-2026 season with its annual Fall Shakespeare production, As You Like It, directed by James Crichton. 

As You Like It is a Shakespearean comedy about love, disguise, transformation, and reconciliation. Duke Senior lives in exile in the Forest of Arden after being usurped by his brother, Duke Frederick. Rosalind, Duke Senior’s daughter, flees to the forest in disguise as a young man named Ganymede, joined by her cousin Celia and the fool Touchstone. There she encounters Orlando, who loves her, and tests his devotion while other romances unfold. Amid mistaken identities, witty banter, and pastoral song, the exiles discover freedom, forgiveness, and the enduring power of love. 

This is the On Tour Company’s fifth time presenting this play and this production is set in early 20th-century New England, on the cusp of America’s second Industrial Revolution. The Forest of Arden becomes the wooded foothills of the Adirondacks — a refuge from the greed of powerful industrialists and a haven for thinkers inspired by Emerson and Thoreau. At its heart, the play celebrates a dawning age of individuality and equality.  

Performances will be held in the Sanford H. Calhoun High School Auditorium, located at 1786 State St. Merrick, NY 11566. Performances are at 7p.m. on Friday, October 24, Saturday, October 25, and Saturday, November 1. There is an understudy matinee performance at 2p.m. on Saturday, November 1. 

The talented cast features Harry Jerozal as Duke Senior, Kara Dobbs as Rosalind, Dylan Glaser as Duke Frederick, Holly Henrickson as Celia, Carlos Miranda Perez as Touchstone, Thomas Rooney as Oliver, Evan Leicht as Orlando, Kenneth Howe as Jaques, Isabella Verderosa as Corin, Nattie Martin as Silvius, Soraya Primavera as Phoebe, and Nicole Markowitz as Audrey. 

The 2p.m. performance on Saturday, November 1 will feature a talented understudy cast including Amiera Cavé as Rosalind, Addison Kelson as Celia, Brooke Thatcher as Corin, Jayden Reyes as Silvius, Sophia Fascianella as Phoebe, and Madison Petry as Audrey.  

The Production Team includes Mr. Nick Giordano as the Technical Director, Set Designer, and Lighting Designer; Mrs. Lydia Gladstone as the Costume Designer, and Mr. Tony Melfa as the Sound Designer. Junior Jake Schwartz composed the production’s original music, serves as musical director, and appears as Amiens. Additional members of the student production team include Amiera Cavé & Kara Dobbs as Assistant Directors, Keira Barraco & Sophie Kovoros as the Stage Managers, and Elizabeth Ramos as the Dramaturg.  

Tickets for As You Like It are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors and can be reserved by calling the box office at 516-992-1377 or purchased at the door. The remainder of the 2025-26 season includes The Old Man and the Old Moon, Follies, and Dramafest. 

About On Tour Company: The On Tour Company has existed at Calhoun for over 50 years. The program was originally founded by James Drake and Dr. Dale Parkinson in 1973. Subsequent instructors included Dianne Meistrell and John Fredrickson, notable among several others. Beginning with the 2024–2025 academic year, James Crichton assumed the role of director, succeeding his mentor and former teacher, Sal Salerno. For more than 4- years, Salerno’s visionary leadership and steadfast commitment shaped the On Tour Company into one of the most respected and enduring high school drama programs on Long Island and throughout New York State.