The guiding concept behind 黑料正能量鈥檚 鈥� is 鈥渄rowning in excess,鈥� says actress Makayla Baker. Fittingly, the performance begins with a shipwreck. Music, choreography, make-up and costumes inspired by carnivals and underwater dance create a visually and kinetically dynamic retelling of the play.
“It is richly comic and has dark undertones, which are rarely explored as fully as we are exploring in our production,鈥� says , director and assistant professor, of his favorite Shakespearean work.
鈥� opens Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Lee Eshleman Studio Theater and continues with nightly performances through Saturday, Nov. 22. Matinees are on Saturday, Nov. 22, and Sunday, Nov. 23 at 3 p.m.
The story revolves around Viola, played by Rachelle Kratz. After the shipwreck, she is rescued on the shores of Illyria, thinking that her twin brother Sebastian (Jeremiah Hines) is dead. She disguises herself as a young man named Cesario, and enters the service of Duke Orsino (Sam Swartzendruber). The Duke believes he is in love with a woman named Olivia (Clara Bush), who falls for Viola’s masculine persona. Love triangles, pranks, and hilarity ensue.
鈥淭he language of Shakespeare is passion put to pen,鈥� says Poole. 鈥淚t takes all of an actor’s physical and mental capacity to play it well.鈥�
Baker, who plays Olivia’s gentlewoman Maria, reads not only lines but personality from the script. 鈥淢y biggest challenge has been finding the pockets where Shakespeare is telling me secrets about the way I should deliver my lines,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y character never speaks in iambic pentameter, which means that she is rough around the edges with her speech.鈥�
Her acting process involves taking the script and a backstory she creates, and filing that away. 鈥淚 keep my brain clear and my body becomes the storyteller for my character,鈥� Baker says.
Swartzendruber humorously describes the month-long experience of learning the Duke’s part, 鈥渟quinting at a page and having no idea what you’re yelling about,鈥� struggling to heed Poole’s instructions to behave naturally, 鈥渂ecause nothing about the situation is anywhere close to natural.鈥�
In the end, though, embodying that foreign character for an audience is what keeps Swartzendruber in the theater. 鈥淚t’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced,鈥� he says.
Considering the complexities of the set, costumery and props, the technical crew working behind the scenes is multi-faceted. Assistant stage manager Mindy Esworthy calls herself a 鈥渏ack of all trades during rehearsal.鈥� On any given day, she’ll be taking notes or making props.
鈥淪ometimes the writing [of Shakespeare] can be offputting, and people don’t see how truly creative it is,鈥� says Esworthy. 鈥淚’m hoping that our interpretation of Twelfth Night will help show that creative side of the formal language.鈥�
Creative interpretation is a driving force behind this production. An original score by local composer James E. (Jim) Clemens, who has collaborated with 黑料正能量 musicians in the past, is a highlight, says Poole.
Swartendruber suggests that audience members familiarize themselves with the plot beforehand to better appreciate the show.
鈥淛ustin’s directing always twists things in different ways to kill any preconceived ideas people have about the way things are going to turn out,鈥� he says.
Despite its complexity, playgoers should expect anything but stodginess in what Baker calls 鈥渢he Moulin Rouge version of Twelfth Night.鈥�
Tickets are available at the 黑料正能量 Box Office in University Commons weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Costs are adult ($12), senior 65 + ($9), youth up to age 18 ($9), 黑料正能量 student ($5), and 黑料正能量 faculty/staff ($9). The Thursday evening performance is “pay what you will” for 黑料正能量 faculty and staff to benefit the 黑料正能量 theater scholarship fund.
Performances:
Wednesday, November 19, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 20, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, November 21, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 22, 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 23, 3 p.m.