There’s a chicken and egg kind of dilemma regarding Shakespeare and community theaters. Most of them don’t produce his works, so actors don’t get a lot of opportunities to get accustomed to performing them. And when they do, audiences are often disappointed, so they might be reluctant to go to the next one, which again, makes theaters nervous about producing them. It’s a vicious cycle.

Those who appreciate Shakespeare’s plays but may be anxious about seeing one at a community theater where the actors aren’t as experienced in the playwright’s style and use of language can ease their minds with the new production of the “As You Like It” at the Sarasota Players.

This production is directed by Kelly Wynn Woodland, who has staged more Shakespeare than almost any other director in the area. She understands the material and knows how to present it in a way that is usually clear and engaging, without resorting to a lot of gimmicks to get a joke across if the actors aren’t up to making the audience laugh with words alone.

There are a few bumps, particularly at the top of the play. Woodland has made some trims to the script that occasionally make you question what led to certain developments, but she keeps the action moving and the spirits high.

And she has cast this production with a group of mostly strong actors. Those with more limited acting experience have small roles that may reveal some of their discomfort but don’t get in the way of the more important and prominent characters who carry the story.

That story begins as the vengeful Duke Frederick, who has already banished his brother from the court, exiles his niece Rosalind to the forest of Arden. Rather than running away as herself, she disguises herself as a boy named Ganymede, takes the duke’s daughter, Celia, as a companion and pseudo-chaperone, and manages to help several struggling couples come together along the way.

Rosalind is half of one of those couples. She’s in love with the equally besotted Orlando, who doesn’t recognize her dressed as Ganymede. Orlando willingly agrees to let Ganymede teach him how best to woo Rosalind whenever they meet again.

Amelia Valery conveys strength, vulnerability and her own romantic frustrations as Rosalind/Ganymede, and you can see how her demeanor and posture change when she’s dressed as a boy. She’s also well matched with a charming Zach Tudor as Orlando, who eagerly follows Ganymede’s suggestions thinking it will give him a better chance with Rosalind. They banter playfully but with purpose, and Tudor is delightful running around the forest dropping treacly love poems that Rosalind and Celia read with a joyous, mocking relish.

As Celia, Vera Samuels has a constant smirk and bemused look as she witnesses her cousin playing with Orlando’s feelings. She can be caustic and mocking, but also supportive in one of her most endearing performances.

Hunter Cross plays Orlando’s oldest brother, Oliver, with a stern, dismissive tone that befits the way he has long treated his sibling, denying him the training and culture that their father wanted for them both. But we get to see a lighter side after Oliver arrives in the forest on a mission from the duke that changes his attitude.

Their other brother, the melancholy Jacques, is played here by a woman, Sherrie McKinley, who wanders about the stage as something of an observer who never raises her voice yet manages to make strong points. Her performance leads to a sweet and meaningful delivery of one of Shakespeare’s most famous monologues, “All the World’s a Stage,” in which Jacques whittles down the life of humans to a key momentsthat capture our essence.

Draper Harris has a strong, commanding presence as Duke Frederick, a sharp contrast to Paul Hutchison as the friendly and welcoming banished brother, Duke Senior.

Celia and Rosalind are accompanied by the jester Touchstone, played by Charlie Phillips with a curious Mexican accent that adds a bit of humor (even if doesn’t make much sense). He has a great, jovial attitude suggesting that almost everything is worth a laugh.

Julian King is earnest as the lovelorn shepherd Silvius, paired with the petulant Phoebe, played by Delilah Dolan.

The production is staged in the round on a set by Brian F. Finnerty that transforms the theater into a colorful and warm forest, with ribbons of branches and leaves, a green-painted floor, and some hippie-era flowers on the walls that match the style of the costumes. 

The first act can be a bit of a struggle with a confusing wrestling match and some arguments that are not convincingly played, but once the main characters arrive in the forest and start playing around with their feelings, the production becomes quicker-paced and wraps you in an engaging style.

“As You Like It” by William Shakespeare. Directed by Kelly Wynn Woodland. Reviewed Sept. 17. Sarasota Players, 3501 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Crossings at Siesta Key shopping center. Through Sept. 27. Tickets are $35, $15 for students. theplayers.org; 941-365-2494