Gwyn's a Blythe spirit at fest


(by Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa)
Hollywood It Girl Gwyneth Paltrow, the toast of this year's
Williamstown Theatre Festival, emerged from her super-secret
rehearsal space yesterday to ready herself for tonight's preview
of William Shakespeare's ``As You Like It.''

The Oscar-winning ``Shakespeare in Love'' lady, who seems to be
making a career of playing a lovesick cross-dresser, has won
over her fellow - albeit less accomplished - actors by working
for peanuts and walking around Williamstown without an ounce of
eyeliner!

``Gwyneth is thin and beautiful and walks around with no
makeup,'' said one Williamstown worker bee. ``She's completely
unassuming.''

Well, the Hollywood diva act probably wouldn't fly with the
festival types who remember when Gwynnie tagged along with her
mom, Blythe Danner, to her rehearsals. Or when the Oscar gal
made her acting debut in ``The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.''

Anyway, word is the Williamstown veteran parties at the Zoo with
the cast and crew. And starting Aug. 12, she'll belt out tunes for
three nights at the Festival's traditional Cabaret Nights at
Williams College.

But her summer-stock cronies say the most endearing part of
Paltrow is that although she commands millions for her movie
roles, she's only being paid scale for her stint in the Berkshires.

However, slumming it for Shakespeare doesn't mean Gwynnie is
bunking in the college dorms or rehearsing in school gyms like her
fellow Tinseltowners Ethan Hawke and David Schwimmer.

``Too many people are looking for her,'' said our source.

We hear she crashes after her 12-hour rehearsals at one of the
Festival board members' homes and is usually being escorted around
by a board biggie or festival producer Michael Ritchie.

So, alas, there appears to be no one special summer guy for
Gwynnie. And we bet that's not As Gwyneth Likes It.