Into the Woods: Nature Works its Magic in Shakespeare in Yosemite

"When I was younger, my friends and I would run around the neighborhood pretending to be heroes or pirates," Serrano said. "When I found I could do that in front of an audience, well, that was awesome."

Joanna Lopez, a second-year biology major from San Francisco, plays a scientist who studies the park's ecosystems. "I think the play is our way of talking about the natural world," she said.

The original "As You Like It" has a handful of tunes that have been performed traditionally or adapted to contemporary styles over the centuries. Tonatiuh Newbold, a pianist at Yosemite's Ahwahnee Hotel, composed three original songs he performs onstage with a band.

Displacement is a powerful theme in the original script. Characters are exiled, forced out or stripped of their identities. Amid the natural beauty of Arden they experience insight, renewal and love.

"The idea of removing someone from their normal environment and what can happen when you do, Shakespeare has a lot to say about that," Newbold said. "So the lyrics were very easy for me to write."