Any relationship that begins in the forest might seem a little unconventional, but in a Shakespearean comedy, somehow everything ends happily ever after.

That's what will happen in As You Like It, presented by the Penn State School of Theatre and written by William Shakespeare during the turn of the 17th century, will open at 8 p.m. Friday at the Citizens Bank Theatre, 146 S. Allen St, and continue through Dec. 12.

Shakespeare is often perceived as out of touch and hard to follow, Anna Elwood (graduate-theatre) said.

"This is very different, though; it's a very theatrical production. This is kind of contemporary, and it's designed to be fun for an audience," she said.

The costumes have bright, contrasting colors that add to the comedy within the show and allow the audience to "fall into the world" of theater, Brandon McMillen (graduate-theatre) said.

"I love Shakespeare. It's a lot for the mouth and the ears to handle, but it's a lot of fun," he said.

The play contains the famous line, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players," which is painted across the set of the downtown theater.

"We use that as a general idea to say we're creating a world," director Tom Markus said.

Markus added that theater reflects life.

"Theater is different from anything else -- except life. In life, surprising things happen, so in the theater, we hope that surprising things also happen," he said.

Markus, a guest director, has worked in the theater for 51 years and has directed two productions at Penn State in the past.

"It has been beneficial for someone outside of the Penn State community to give his perspective on Shakespeare," Patrese McClain (graduate-theatre) said.

Elwood said Markus has been collaborative with the cast in his efforts to interpret the comedic aspect of As You Like It.

"He loves humor and he sees humor in everything," she said.

The play explores relationships between the main characters after they have sought refuge in or been banished to the forest on the outskirts of the royal court. Rosalind, played by Elwood, is banished by her uncle, the duke of the court.

Once there, she pretends to be a man and finds Orlando, played by McMillen, whom she had fallen in love with before she was banished.

"She tricks me into playing a game with her to pretend she is Rosalind and cure me of my lovesickness," McMillen said.

Elwood said the role gives the female character a chance to step out of boundaries that would have been set during the early 1600s.

"Being a man, [Rosalind] has the freedom to use her wit and intellect like a woman wouldn't have been able to do in the era that we're in," she said.

The disguised woman travels in the forest with her cousin, Celia, played by McClain.

"She is the naïve, feminine cousin of Rosalind who wants to have fun with her cousin and see what kind of madness they can get into in the forest," McClain said.

She said Celia, the daughter of the duke, makes decisions from her heart and is loyal to her cousin after both are banished.

"I forsake my father and my inheritance to follow her," McClain said.

The women encounter others in the forest and entangle in other relationships, but ultimately, Elwood said, Shakespeare ends the play romantically.

"In the end, [Rosalind] reveals herself and everyone gets married and lives happily ever after," she said.

Kevin Murphy, Class of 2007, who plays the court jester Touchstone, said the audience should enjoy the romantic elements Shakespeare uses to connect the comedy to the audience.

"It makes you laugh; it makes you want to fall in love," he said. "It's a great night at the theater."