Twelfth Night

March 19 – March 29, 2009

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Diane Malone

Often lauded as one of the most structurally perfect comedies ever written and beloved by audiences for generations, Twelfth Night is a masterpiece. Shipwrecked on the shores of the strange land, Illyria, Viola believes herself alone in the world and her twin brother drowned. Disguising herself as a boy to work in the court of Illyria’s Count Orsino, Viola discovers her male disguise has proven all too effective: Orsino sends her as a go-between in his persistent love-suit to the unresponsive Olivia. Even as Viola sues for Olivia’s love on Orsino’s behalf, Viola falls in love with Orsino herself. What ensues is a cross-dressing comedy rife with pain and triumph, humor and madness, transformation and redemption.

Press

In the Classic’s production, the romantic country of Illyria is a world saturated with ’60s rock, British-invasion fashion, and loose sexuality. The set is relatively simple and nothing to write home about, adorned with a few token registers of the era. The costumes are striking, colorful, and thoughtfully designed. But the real gem of the concept is Tom Masinter’s original music, which works surprisingly well with Shakespeare’s many songs, capturing how wonderfully evocative they are of the characters’ promiscuous love play, revelries, and longing drenched in sweet romantic pangs.

- Kyle Gillette, San Antonio Current