"Twelfth Night"

An interesting new take on a classic

Troy’s Department of Theatre & Dance and College of Arts & Humanities is performing William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” For those who are unfamiliar with the production, “Twelfth Night” is one of Shakespeare’s comedy plays.  

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The title refers to the eve of the Feast of Epiphany in Christian holiday. This play explores themes of love, grief and chaos as it follows Viola, who has recently lost her brother in a shipwreck, disguising herself as a young man named Cesario. She gets caught within a love triangle, identities are mistaken and Malvolio becomes the victim of an outrageous trick. 

However, this performance is not a traditional version of Shakespeare’s work. This version is set in the 1920s era of New Orleans, Louisiana. Alex Piper, the director and a lecturer at Troy University, has taken this performance and told it in a new light to highlight the complexities of gender, identity and the cultural cultivations we see of them even today. 

The show began with the fool of the play coming onto the stage and breaking the fourth wall. This character then reaches into a cabinet and pulls out a record of “Twelfth Night,” as if they are the one telling this story through music. 

The performance was lively and filled with music, colorful costumes and a stage designed for the era. A set of stairs and a balcony were decorated to match the set. Window frames and shutters hung from the top of the stage to make it seem like the houses found in New Orleans.  

Flickering lantern lights were hung about and streetlights adorned the area. In the very center was a round stage that had a brick wall staggered on one end. This piece was significant to most of the acting performed. 

Music fitting of the time played in the background of many scenes, with the fool crooning lyrics to it throughout. The costumes varied from colorful and beaded flapper dresses, drop waisted gowns, tweed vests and three-piece suits. Viola’s hair was significant to her character, as it was hidden in disguise as Cesario and let free as herself. 

The way lighting was used during the performance was pivotal to the storytelling. The scene of the shipwreck had flashes of light for lightning and dimmed to just barely show the struggle of Viola and Sebastian. The fool was spotlighted while singing, and the background was colorfully lit to give the appearance of night in New Orleans.  

The lights indicated changes in location, scenes and the emotional environment of the characters. 

This play was an interesting new take on a classic. It continued to be filled with drama, laughter and tension as the story unfolded. The change in time and setting allowed a more recent take on the events, and it provided a new method for telling the story.  

By taking the time to see this show, viewers would have the opportunity to experience traditional Shakespearean theatre with a more modern twist and support the Troy community at the same time. 

The Department of Theatre & Dance has more upcoming shows such as “Page to Stage: Almost, Maine” on Nov. 7 and 8, “Ride the Cyclone” on Nov. 13 through 16 and “Clara’s Nutcracker” on Nov 20 through 22. More information about upcoming performances can be found on the department’s Instagram page, @troytheatredance and its website, troy.edu/theatreanddance.