Raechel Gilland as Touchstone and Kiyomi Gaines as Audrey in "As You Like It," opening Thursday in Bend. (Submitted photo)

Could the comedy be the last production from the touring producers of Bard plays?

Guerrilla Shakespeare Co. returns with its summer show, “As You Like It,” and as if to prove true the comedy’s famous quote about “All the world’s a stage,” the outdoor theater company will again tour it around Central Oregon.

Inhabited by a sprawling Shakespeare cast of lovestruck innocents, ne’er-do-wells, people of privilege, a jester and more, “As You Like It” tells the story of Rosalind who, like her father, gets exiled. She escapes to the Forest of Arden. There, Rosalind goes undercover as Ganymede, encounters Rosalind’s love interest, Orlando, and as usual in Shakespeare comedies, classic hijinks ensue.

Raechel Gilland, in her fourth outing as director of a Guerrilla Shakespeare production, and cast will open the show in its traditional place, presenting it at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday on the lawn at Deschutes Historical Society. On Saturday, it performs at 7 p.m. in Bend’s Pioneer Park, followed by a 3 p.m. matinee there Sunday.

“As You Like It” then heads to Suttle Lake Campground Wednesday, then Bend’s Craft Kitchen & Brewery July 31, Maragas Winery in Culver Aug. 1, wrapping up Aug. 2 at Alpenglow Park in Southeast Bend. All four shows are at 7 p.m.

In a recent email to The Bulletin, company founder Clinton K. Clark hinted that this year could be the last for Guerrilla Shakespeare.

“Despite eight years of doing plays, we’ve never really see, much of an increase in (patrons),” Clark wrote, adding he isn’t confident there are enough fans of The Bard around Central Oregon to keep things going. “But I’ve said that before, too.”

Director Gilland, who also plays a jester in “As You Like It,” believes the show(s) must go on.

Locally speaking, “Theater is in a weird limbo,” Gilland said. “There are a lot of production companies out there now. There’s a lot of people doing theater now, but there’s not a lot of Shakespeare. I personally think Shakespeare’s important to continue.”

Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 day of show, and are available at our.show/guerrillashakes.