“And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, Sermons in stones, and good in everything.” — “As You Like It,” Act II, Scene 1
One of Casey Hoekstra’s most memorable moments onstage at American Players Theatre was a night when the rhyming comedy “The Liar” got rained out. Phoebe González was playing Clarice, Hoekstra’s love interest, and in a “very fraught” moment, “she yelled at me and disowned me and left the stage,” Hoekstra said.
“In that moment the rain poured down,” Hoekstra said. “I was wearing a huge wig. It was matted over my face, and the rain is pouring down, and I just stood there and watched her. The audience started to laugh … this last moment that we had was perfect for this character.”
Ashley Rodriguez and I spent the better part of a day on the American Players Theatre campus last month, popping into rehearsals and sitting down with three of the core acting company’s newest members. The summer season opens in previews June 6…