In 2017, Public Works presented Shakespeare’s As You Like It, in a ravishing new musical adaptation by Director of Public Works Laurie Woolery and Shaina Taub, featuring music and lyrics by Taub, the acclaimed singer/songwriter behind 2016's “free-spirited, thoroughly delightful” (The New York Times) adaption of Twelfth Night, and choreography by Emmy nominee Sonya Tayeh (Hundred Days, Kung Fu).

Two hundred community members and professional actors performed together on the Delacorte stage in this immersive dream-like tale of faithful friends, feuding families and lovers in disguise. Forced from their homes, Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind and niece Celia, escape to the Forest of Arden, a fantastical place of transformation, where all are welcomed and embraced. Lost amidst the trees, the refugees find community and acceptance under the stars. Fall under love’s spell in this magical story of chance encounters and self-discovery.

The Public Works community partners for AS YOU LIKE IT were:
Brownsville Recreation Center, Center for Family Life in Sunset Park, DreamYard Project, Fortune Society, and Military Resilience Project, along with alumni partners Casita Maria Center for Arts and Education, Children's Aid Society and Domestic Workers United.

The cameo groups included Bronx Wrestling Federation, Freedom Dabka Group, Harambee Dance Company, and The Sing Harlem Choir