A drunk, several fools, a jester, a brother and a sister who have lost track of each other and people falling in love with the “wrong” person inhabit Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” a noisy, goofy, often funny and frequently confusing piece playing through July 9 at The Old Globe’s Lowell Davies Festival Theatre.
It’s a goofy plot and a goofy production, but thanks to the actors (a combination of Actors’ Equity members and students in the USD/Old Globe Shiley Graduate Theatre Program), Kathleen Marshall’s fine direction and a great production staff, the show is a kick to watch.
Consider at the outset the prevalent belief at the time this was written that females were imperfect males. This often accounts for the casting and characters.
Viola (Naian González Norvind), shipwrecked on the coast of Illyria (now the western Balkans), has lost contact with her brother Sebastian (Jose Balistrieri). She thinks he’s been drowned. Disguising herself as a young man named Cesario, she enters the service of Duke Orsino (Biko Eisen-Martin), who is in love with the lovely Olivia (who wears black, mourning her brother’s death).
Olivia falls for Viola aka Cesario, Viola aka Cesario loves Duke Orsino and Duke Orsino loves Olivia. Got it?
Now consider Olivia’s uncle, the often-drunk Sir Toby Belch (Cornell Womack), who hangs out with the “silly squire” Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Jason O’Connell). Both drink too much but have a wonderful time, despite the complaints of Olivia’s steward Malvolio (Greg Germann), who thinks he’s better than anyone else.
The first act has everyone pining for the wrong person until the Belch/Aguecheek/Malvolio trio decide they should all get drunk.
In the second act, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Maria plan revenge on the spoilsport Malvolio, by planting a “love letter” allegedly from Olivia (but written by Maria) that asks Malvolio to wear stockings cross-gartered (and yellow, egad), to be rude to the rest of the servants and to smile constantly in Olivia’s presence.
Great merriment is seen among all (especially the audience) when they see how goofy Malvolio looks, and he gets locked up in a dark chamber. But he gets a visit from the priest.
Meanwhile Sebastian, Viola’s twin, has been rescued by sea captain Antonio (Jude Tibeau), and eventually everybody marries the right person and all ends happily.
Credit Lawrence E. Moten III for the fine scenic design, Michael Krass for the costumes, Stephen Strawbridge for the lighting, Melanie Chen Cole for the sound design, music director Morgan Carberry and original music by Miriam Sturm and Michael Bodeen, and voice and text coach Ursula Meyer.
“Twelfth Night” isn’t my favorite Shakespeare play, but I’ve got to say this one is fun to watch.
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