Transplanting the Forest of Arden

“As You Like It: A California Concoction” gives Shakespeare a modern, red state/blue state update as Alison Carey’s new adaptation of the gender-bending romantic comedy moves its setting to urban Pasadena and the desert. Presented in association with Cornerstone Theater Company and directed by outgoing Cornerstone artistic director and co-founder Bill Rauch, the production marks a return to the Pasadena Playhouse’s classic theater roots -- at one time in its history, between 1920 and 1966, it presented the Bard’s entire canon.

“As You Like It: A California Concoction,” Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Opens 8 p.m. Friday. Runs 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 5 and 9 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays, except 2 and 8 p.m. April 5; ends April 16. $38 to $60. (626) 356-7529. www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org