Shakespeare's
Twelfth Night (Or What You Will)
Reviewed by Natalie Shaw
Fair Assembly's Twelfth Night is everything you would want to see, hope to see, and expect to see in a Shakespearean comedy. While many Shakespeare productions may slightly miss the mark (or miss it completely,) Fair Assembly hits the bullseye dead-center, every time. We can become so infatuated with modernizing Shakespeare's storylines, and manipulating his poetry that we forget he already had us in mind when he was writing-- his language, his themes and his humanity are timeless--which is what we fell in love with in the first place!
I'll save you a lengthy lesson on Shakespeare and his plays, but there are a few key points you should know. First: He wrote poetry and used the play for his writing, not the other way around. And set pieces were usually minimal, as spectators came to listen, more-so than to see. Second: His theater space would have relied on candles, oil lamps, and torches for lighting. Some special effects, for something like lightning would've required makeshift fireworks using gunpowder or powder being thrown toward a flame (kind of dangerous, actually, which added to the excitement!) Third: Women weren't allowed to perform, at all. They used young boys for some roles, or men dressed as women. So, in some comedies, you'd have a man dressed as women, dressed as a man. Cross-dressing at its finest! And quite funny! Fourth: Clothing was regulated by law, as it showed someone's social rank. It could be extremely risky to imitate a royal or a nobleman and don an item of their clothing onstage. And, even though Shakespeare insisted the audience not take his plays too seriously, he did, in fact, use his characters to give the royals and nobles pause to think about their leadership, which could, you know, anger the queen. So, giving his plays less provocative titles like, All's Well That Ends Well, or As You Like It, or perhaps Twelfth Night (Or What You Will) suggested that he was just joking, so don't take it too seriously. But, we know well enough that there's truth behind every joke.
Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's best comedies, and, like all good comedies, there are elements of tragedy. Directors Romersberger and Welch open the production with the thunderstorm at sea scene, (also repeated in many of Shakespeare's plays) creatively using the full cast as the sea, itself, as well as the ship and the characters who experience the shipwreck, tragic drowning and disbursement of one another. We witness brother and sister (twins!) Sebastian and Viola desperately trying to hold on to one another, but ultimately separated-- Sebastian (Eduardo Velez III) going one way, Viola (Emily Ernst) the other-- end of scene. Next, a spotlight comes up on our noble Orsino (Jon Garrard), Duke of Illyria, atop a balcony, expressing the famous speech "If music be the food of love, play on!"--emptying his soul of his overwhelming love (you call it love, I call it infatuation) for the beautiful Countess Olivia (Betsy Roth) who will not return his (or anyone else's) affections, as she has vowed that she will mourn the loss of her brother for a full seven years, an excessive amount of time in anyone's book. Roth's Olivia is dynamic and poetic, clinging to the depths of her despair. Garrard's Orsino is persistent in his pursuit of her sentiments. Neither will relent, so here they are, like dogs chasing their tails.
As Viola has found herself washed ashore a beach in Illyria, post-storm, she soon realizes that her brother has likely drowned and that she is a woman in a foreign land, alone, relatively speaking. Not one for admitting defeat, Emily Ernst showcases a sensible and headstrong Viola who will press on. She charges straight for the household of Duke Orsino, and lands herself a job as his page-- only wisely dressed as a man referred to as Cesario. Garrard's lovesick Orsino sends "Cesario" to Olivia on a quest, urging her to put off her mourning and lean into love! Indeed, Cesario is successful! Olivia forgets her vow of mourning and embraces love--with Cesario, much to Viola's surprise-- and with just as much grandeur as she grasped her anguish!
Shakespeare graciously includes a side-story, which includes members of Olivia's household. Her uncle, Sir Toby Belch (played comically by Austin Tindle, who does, in fact, give us a good belch or two!) thinks he has procured the perfect match for Olivia's marriage in Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Christian Taylor.) Although, we think he'd make a better match for Toby, as the two of them are cut from the same cloth and absolutely deserve one another. When the two Sirs are not drunk, they are causing mayhem with maidservant Maria (played with cheeky mischief by Caitlin Chapa) and servant Fabian (Lauren Hayden Jordan.) Olivia's steward, Malvolio (Blake Hametner) is certainly one to do her bidding, whatever that may mean, but lacks any sort of compassion for his servant subjects; he rules them with a strong hand, sometimes to the face! However, his fate catches up with him, and he soon realizes what a fool he really is; it's a hard lesson, indeed! Maria devizes an evil little scheme, with the help of Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Fabian to convince Malvolio, in the form of a letter, that Countess Olivia is madly in love with Malvolio, himself! And that she so desires to see him in yellow stockings and cross garters (a fashion that she, in fact, abhors!) He takes the bait--hook, line and sinker! Hametner's clown training takes on its best as he brandishes Malvolio's lordly rooster legs, criss-crossed with garters up to his thigh in the face of his poor employer, Olivia! Thrusting his hips in her direction, while boasting black shorty-shorts displays even more of his "masculinity" and we are certain the man has lost his damn mind! And we are ever so grateful to witness it!
Misunderstandings continue to add to the comedy, as confusion takes place when Velez's Sebastian and his rescuer, Antonio (Brian Gibson) are unexpectedly on the scene. Ever present is David Helms as Feste the wise "fool," who enjoys playing along and having a good laugh, but takes his job very seriously. The "fool" is Shakespeare's greatest tool, using this type of character in many of his plays as the glue that binds the entire story together. The "fool" is also used as a means to open the eyes of his viewers to their own folly and ignorance. Helms interprets the truth of his character very well and gives us a front row seat to Feste's comedic and emotionally moving moments; he is splendid in any role, but this is among his very best work!
Shakespeare did not write musicals, but he did incorporate music in his plays. We have the music in lyric form, which gives us the opportunity to write our own instrumental and vocal tunes to accompany. Musicians Ava Robb (Curio/Officer) and Sidney Floyd (Valentine/Officer,) along with Music Captain Eduardo Velez III and Composer Ivan Dillard have created beautiful music that aids in the telling of the story. Excellent vocals are provided by David Helms and the cast as an ensemble that resonate beautifully. Costumes are thoughtfully designed by Breianna Bairrington, while lighting is wonderfully created by Joshua Manning. As all Shakespeare productions should, text is specifically coached; Kyle Lemieux provides this resource for the cast and creative team. And, in good Shakespearean style, our directors have provided a sturdy bench that has multiple uses and allows us to fill the stage with our own imagination.
Take Notice: Fair Assembly is taking over as Dallas' best Shakespeare Company, one production at a time, and in all the best ways! (That's right, I said it!) I encourage you to see for yourself--I dare you to prove me wrong! Tickets are at fairassembly.com. They're performing in the beautiful Arts Mission in Oak Cliff, but you only have one more weekend, so you better show up! Parking space is slightly limited, get their early. You're welcome!
Enjoy the Show,
Natalie
Photos by Shafkat Anwar and Frank Darko
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