Who among us has never felt the pain of unrequited passion? Or the grief of a great loss? Or the elation of newfound love? In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare captures these feelings with some of the most resonant poetry to reverberate through playhouses. In schools, Shakespeare is usually studied as literature, but it is in performing his work that we hear the full depth of his brilliance. While you watch today’s show, I implore you to listen with your heart, not your mind.
“So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.”
-Sonnet 18
I promised myself when adapting this play that I would make sure every actor got to speak a line of Shakespeare’s text. This proved difficult, since Twelfth Night is usually done with a tight cast of ten to fifteen actors. I have twenty-five actors per cast. So, in effort to build out the world of this play and give every actor their due, I have woven lines from other plays in Shakespeare’s canon into this production. Full scenes from The Tempest and Julius Caesar make an appearance and I’ve even thrown in a line from Romeo and Juliet (see if you can catch it). These scenes not only guarantee every actor a chance to speak these beautiful lines, but add a shipwreck and several ensemble sword fights to the show. I knew this would be many of these actors’ first introduction to Shakespeare, so I wanted their entrance to be action-packed!
“O for a muse of fire, that would ascend The brightest heaven of invention!”
-Prologue, Henry V
I want to thank every parent and guardian who supported their kid in doing this production; Everyone who volunteered to help with rehearsals, set and costume construction and performances; Caitlin Toropova, Erinn Testa and Elaine O’Malley for taking on extra production responsibilities; The technical crew for their patience and work ethic; Kristin Bakowski for bringing my vision of Illyria to life; Jenny Boynton for her directing and administrative expertise; And finally, Anna Barker and YES for bringing the arts into Ross Valley Schools and making the world a more creative place!
“I can no other answer make but thanks, And thanks and ever thanks!”
-Act 3, Scene 3, Twelfth Night
