TWELFTH NIGHT or WHAT YOU WILL

Dan Hiatt (Andrew Aguecheek), Danny Scheie (Feste) and Andy Murray (Toby Belch); photo by Jay Yamada.

TWELFTH NIGHT, or WHAT YOU WILL by William Shakespeare, directed by Mark Rucker. California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes), Bruns Memorial Amphitheater, 100 Gateway Blvd.. Orinda, CA 9456; 510 548 9666, or www.calshakes.org. September 10- October 5, 2008.

RUCKER CREATES A RUCKUS

Some of Shakespeare’s plays lend themselves to conceptual productions and TWELFTH NIGHT is one of those plays. It is a comedy with unrealistic, hilarious plot and sub plots involving fraternal twins, mistaken identity, off-wall characters and an outrageous jester. Award winning director Mark Rucker asks us to suspend belief to a point of the ridiculous . . . and it sort of works.

The magnificent view of the East Bay hills is completely blocked by a huge semi-psychedelic wall with the pattern repeated on the floor of the stage. Modern garish furniture abounds with various size disco mirror balls placed strategically about the stage. A three piece rock band with two electric guitars and keyboard accompany the entire cast belting an opening number reminding us to silence our cell phones etc. If the band and song are reflective of the opening line by Count Orsino (Stephen Barker Turner) “If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it,. . .” this production does that. But, it really is not an excess, since Danny Shcheie, as the jester Feste, has an excellent voice and the words fit into the plot just as jigsaw puzzle pieces do to complete the whole picture.

The play was originally commissioned by a lawyers’ group in 1601 to celebrate the Twelfth Night holiday and has no connection to the plot. It was suggested that they could give it any title or “what you will.” The story centers around mistaken identity starting with the proverbial Shakespearean shipwreck with twins Viola ( Alex Morph) and Sebastian (Alex Morph) separated, but both alive. The previous sentence is not a misprint. Rucker has elected to have Morph play both roles keeping the audience in suspense wondering how he would handle the scenes when they would both be on stage. You will have to stay till the end of the play, and you should, to view this conceit.

Viola is washed up on the shores of Illyria and to protect herself (her virginity?) she masquerades as a boy, named Cesario, becoming a page to Count Orsino who is hopelessly in love with Lady Olivia (Dana Green). Viola/Cesario with Viola mentality falls in love with Orsino who sends Cesario/Viola to act as an intermediary to press his suit with Olivia who has no romantic inclination for Orsino. Olivia falls head-over-heels in love with the male version of Cesario/Viola leading to intricate three-way love triangle.

In Lady Olivia’s household we meet her drunken, carousing uncle Sir Toby Belch (Andy Murray), his addle-brained friend Squire Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Dan Hiatt), a maid Maria in love with Toby, Malvolio (Sharon Lockwood), a malevolent steward to Olivia and the always pervasive jester Feste. To punish Malvolio, Toby, Andrew, Maria and Feste hatch up a fantastic charade causing Malvolio to think that Olivia is in love with him. The charade leads to Malvolio wearing yellow cross-gartered stockings and he eventually ends up in the dungeon for the insane.

There is unexplained character named Fabian (Liam Vincent) who partakes of the Malvolio incident whom director Rucker inexplicably sits in a cage on stage left dressed in a Harvey rabbit costume for most of the first act. Eventually Viola’s twin brother Sebastian shows up with his protector Antonio (Raife Baker), causing further complications. As with any romantic comedy all ends well for everyone except the dastard Malvolio who swears revenge on the perpetrators.

The ruckus that Rucker creates is much too much. The garish costumes (Clint Ramos) are befitting for a burlesque farce but seem appropriate considering that Rucker has turned the comedy into a farce complete with excessive physical humor often depending on creating laughs from the cross-dressing cast. That being said Sharon Lockwood as Malvolio gives a fantastic performance garnering almost as many Laughs as Danny Schie who tools around on roller-skates, dressed in Halloween befitting costumes. Alex Morph carries out the triple Viola/Cesario/Sebastion role with skill. To his, or director Rucker’s credit, he never over emphasizes the female portion of the characters.

Turner, as Count Orsino, is fortunate to be spared the embarrassing over-the-top performance/direction in the major roles by popular Cal Shakes favorites Castellanos, Hiatt, Murray and Vincent. Statuesque Dana Green, a newcomer to Cal Shakes, in unnecessary stiletto heeled shoes, handles the Olivia/Sebastian love angle with verve almost over powering Morph.

Running time about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

COURTESY OF THEATREWORLD INTERNET MAGAZINE