Doo-wopping Shakespeare By Mark Graham
	Click on the photo above to see a larger version of the image and accompanying caption.		The lyrics were Shakespeare's, but the harmonies sounded more like the Four Tops' when Sophocles "Steve" Papavasilopoulos '97 added an eclectic mix of Scottish fiddle music, doo-wop, jazz, and folk music to the Black River Theater Company's summer production of As You Like It. Shakespeare's comedy contains four songs and other scenes that can incorporate music. "Since most of the play takes place in a forest," Steve says, "Paul [Moser, associate professor of theater and the play's director] wanted to have a summer-festival atmosphere with different bands playing each song." Changing sounds for songs required flexibility from the eight-member band: Oberlin resident Bruce Erwin played violin, junior Ian McDonald played clarinet, washboard, cowbells, and drums, senior Jane Leacock sang and played flute, piccolo, tambourine, and wind chimes, senior Toshio Mana sang and played double bass, Jeff Manwaring '98 sang and played percussion, local resident David Ott sang and played drums, mandolin, and banjo, area-resident Anthony Papavasilopoulos sang and played guitar; and Steve sang, coordinated the prerecorded music, and played piano and drums. "It was tricky at times, but it was a lot of fun," says Mana. If ovations and smiles are indicators--especially after the a capella "Lover and His Lass"--the audience had fun too.