Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Directed by Kelly Parker
APRIL 18-20
7:30
MTA
Directed by Kelly Parker
APRIL 18-20
7:30
MTA
A delightfully comic tale of mistaken identities, Twelfth Night revolves around the physical likeness between Sebastian and his twin sister, Viola, each of whom, when separated after a shipwreck, believes the other to be dead. The theatrical romp begins when Viola assumes the identity of Cesario, a page in the household of the Duke of Orsino. The Duke is enamored of the Countess Olivia, who spurns him for the newly arrived young page. The comical machinations of Malvolio, Sir Toby Belch, the maid Maria, and Sir Andrew Aguecheek add to the ensuing confusion — all of which is pleasantly resolved when Viola and Sebastian meet once again. Filled with some of the finest comedic scenes in the English language, this entertaining masterpiece remains one of Shakespeare's most popular and most performed comedies.
Costume REsearch
Auditions took place the last week of school.
Production Notes
Originally, this show was supposed to be a huge build from scratch show, but then my husband had a stroke and I went on FML for 6 weeks. By the time I came back to work I had about 3 weeks to pull this show together, so it became a pull from stock show. Fortunately we'd done many shows in and around this period so I had lots to pull from. We only built two completely new costumes for the twins, and made 3 matching tunics for the officers. I only spent @ $280.00 on tights and one shirt, dye, buttons, and elastic.
Distressing Malvolio's nightshirt
For the end of the play when Sir Toby and his cohort lock Malvolio in a cage and torment him, the director wanted him looking very disheveled, and since we didn't have a second of his costume to shred, we chose to put him in a nightshirt and distress it. Before I started I ripped off the bottom 6 inches of the nightgown both to shorten it and to make it look more ragged.
Prepping for the dye job:
Prepping for the dye job:
- Covered the mannequin in several dry cleaning bags to protect it.
- Gathered all the supplies.
- Heated the water to boiling.
- Added salt and laundry soap to condition the water.
- Donned protective clothing, filter mask, gloves.
- Mixed the dyes and poured into spray bottles.
- Sprayed the entire shirt lightly with brown to take the whiteness down.
- Sprayed the hem and cuffs and collar green and purple.
- Let dry in the sun to set the dye
- Washed in cold water.
- Dryed on hot.
First Fittings
First Dress Photos
‘Twelfth Night’ actors get closer in MCC Theatre production
By CARL HOOVER [email protected] Apr 24, 2019
Count Orsino (Alec Ehringer, left) employs the servant Cesario (Jaden Fox) as a romantic go-between in McLennan Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” Staff photo — Rod Aydelotte
Rather than make Shakespeare more approachable by changing a play’s time period or setting, McLennan Theatre’s production of “Twelfth Night, or What You Will” aims to narrow the distance between play and audience by, well, narrowing the distance.
In contrast to some of the theater’s past Shakespeare productions performed outdoors at the Bosque River Stage, “Twelfth Night” will be staged in MCC’s smaller Music and Theatre Arts Building with a thrust stage extended up to the theater’s central exit. To bring viewers closer, benches will replace the front row seating.
The shrinking space between actors and audience keeps players on their toes, actively connecting with their viewers rather than standing and declaiming lines, said director Kelly Parker. The production’s stage also lacks visual distractions from the actors and action, featuring little in the way of a set and a minimum of props.
“This is how I enjoy Shakespeare,” he admitted. “(Actors) get away with less in here.”
The comedy, named after the post-Christmas holiday for which Shakespeare wrote his entertainment, also features several strong female roles and shows some of the playwright’s more seasoned comic plotting.
“It’s one of his tightest comedies, with many of the elements he’s used before — mistaken identities, women pretending to be men — and by now, he’s more efficient at it,” Parker said.
The story features twins Viola (Jaden Fox) and Sebastian (Trey Barnett) who are shipwrecked on the island Illyria, with Sebastian feared lost. Viola disguises herself as a man, Cesario, to work for Duke Orsino (Alec Ehringer). The Duke is in love with Olivia (Brayden Braziel), who doesn’t return his affection.
Cesario/Viola serves as a go-between and complications ensue, as they always do in a Shakespearean comedy, when Olivia starts to fall for Cesario. Olivia’s steward is the insufferable Malvolio (Nick Marquez), and a trio of Sir Toby Belch (Colten Haliburton), Maria (Kyndal Rinewalt), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Ethan Molina) and Olivia’s jester Feste (Kaleigh Huser and Kate Hodge) scheme his comeuppance by making him think Olivia is romantically inclined.
Oh, and then Sebastian arrives on the scene with Olivia thinking he’s Cesario, who’s really Sebastian’s sister . . . or what you will.
A cast of 20 will perform “Twelfth Night,” which also features live, original incidental music written by MCC students.
Rather than make Shakespeare more approachable by changing a play’s time period or setting, McLennan Theatre’s production of “Twelfth Night, or What You Will” aims to narrow the distance between play and audience by, well, narrowing the distance.
In contrast to some of the theater’s past Shakespeare productions performed outdoors at the Bosque River Stage, “Twelfth Night” will be staged in MCC’s smaller Music and Theatre Arts Building with a thrust stage extended up to the theater’s central exit. To bring viewers closer, benches will replace the front row seating.
The shrinking space between actors and audience keeps players on their toes, actively connecting with their viewers rather than standing and declaiming lines, said director Kelly Parker. The production’s stage also lacks visual distractions from the actors and action, featuring little in the way of a set and a minimum of props.
“This is how I enjoy Shakespeare,” he admitted. “(Actors) get away with less in here.”
The comedy, named after the post-Christmas holiday for which Shakespeare wrote his entertainment, also features several strong female roles and shows some of the playwright’s more seasoned comic plotting.
“It’s one of his tightest comedies, with many of the elements he’s used before — mistaken identities, women pretending to be men — and by now, he’s more efficient at it,” Parker said.
The story features twins Viola (Jaden Fox) and Sebastian (Trey Barnett) who are shipwrecked on the island Illyria, with Sebastian feared lost. Viola disguises herself as a man, Cesario, to work for Duke Orsino (Alec Ehringer). The Duke is in love with Olivia (Brayden Braziel), who doesn’t return his affection.
Cesario/Viola serves as a go-between and complications ensue, as they always do in a Shakespearean comedy, when Olivia starts to fall for Cesario. Olivia’s steward is the insufferable Malvolio (Nick Marquez), and a trio of Sir Toby Belch (Colten Haliburton), Maria (Kyndal Rinewalt), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Ethan Molina) and Olivia’s jester Feste (Kaleigh Huser and Kate Hodge) scheme his comeuppance by making him think Olivia is romantically inclined.
Oh, and then Sebastian arrives on the scene with Olivia thinking he’s Cesario, who’s really Sebastian’s sister . . . or what you will.
A cast of 20 will perform “Twelfth Night,” which also features live, original incidental music written by MCC students.