UMW THEATRE TO END 2023-24 SEASON WITH TWELFTH NIGHT
UMW Theatre will close its 2023-24 season with William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Performances will be April 11-13 & 18-20 at 7:30 p.m., and 14 & 21 at 2:00 p.m. in Klein Theatre, duPont Hall at the University of Mary Washington. Guests may also attend the Pay-What-You-Can Preview performance on April 10 at 7:30 p.m. The box office opens at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. AfterWords, a post-show talkback with the cast, will take place after the matinee performance on April 14. Tickets are $28 for standard admission and $23 for students, senior citizens, and military. Groups of ten or more can receive a discount as well.
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a romantic comedy focusing on twins, Viola and Sebastian, who are separated in a shipwreck and find themselves in the strange new land of Illyria. Stranded and alone, Viola must disguise herself as a man to survive and decides to find work with the Duke of Illyria, Orsino. Under the guise of manhood and against her better judgement, Viola finds herself falling in love with the duke. Orsino quickly appoints Viola as his right hand “man,” sending her to court another woman again and again in his stead, the grieving Countess Olivia. The situation grows more complex as a long triangle forms between Viola, Orsino, and Olivia, leading Viola to make a choice between her duty and her heart. As the story progresses, another parallel plot unfolds in Olivia’s court involving a quartet of pranksters seeking revenge on one haughty stewardess. All of this comes to a head when the characters are forced to confront each other and their true identities. At its core, Twelfth Night is a story about love, loss, and how we find our identities.
Twelfth Night, also known as Twelfth Night, or What You Will is believed to have been commissioned around 1601 as part of the Twelfth Night celebrations by Queen Elizabeth I held at Whitehall Palace. The play’s title is believed to be a reference to the Feast of Epiphany, a festival held on January 6th, the twelfth night of the Christmas Celebration. In the 1600’s, the festival was a festival in which everything was turned upside down. For example, men would dress as women and women men. This theme is shown in Shakespeare’s writing. The earliest recorded public performance of Twelfth Night took place on February 2nd, 1602, at Middle Temple Hall in London, England. The play was published in Shakespeare’s First Folio in 1623. The show has gained popularity over the centuries, with some more memorable productions including The Globe’s 2002 and 2012 production, the 2017 production at the Royal National Theatre, and the 2017-2018 run at the Royal National Theatre. The story has continued to prove popular, being adapted into movies like She’s the Man, starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum.
William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is directed by Marc Williams, assistant professor of theatre. Scenic design is by assistant professor Michael Benson and costume design is by associate professor Kevin McCluskey. Lighting design is by guest designer Max Doolittle and student Rylie Vann. Sound design is by student Madeline Berger. For further information, call the Klein Theatre Box Office at (540) 654-1111 or visit www.FredTix.com.
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