stage
Despite signs pointing to the contrary, I have felt like some relentless Shakes-peer is bribing local theater companies to perform Twelfth Night and formed the impression that the show has been up on nearly every local stage in the past year.
In actuality, the only other theater to stage the show this year was Four County Players and, saturated by Shakes or not, the show made welcome waves. Even the American Shakespeare Center restrained itself from the enticing show this year, and that’s no easy feat. Twelfth Night is one of the Bard’s best: The subplot that pits soused wild man Toby Belch, the hapless Andrew Aguecheek and Feste, one of the playwright’s best fools (and given a wild and double-edged cunning by Nate Whelden), against Malvolio (still one of Willie’s best names) is one of the most enjoyable to watch of any of Shakespeare’s distractions.
 Fools run the game in another thoroughly enjoyable local production of Twelfth Night. Pictured: The motley crew of jokers (clockwise from top left) Feste (Nate Whelden), Sir Toby Belch (Jared Kassebaum) and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Wes Young). Not pictured: their dignity. |
But others must share my misimpressions because Culbreth Theatre was only half full on Thursday, November 29, the audience chattering over the ambient sounds of thunder clapping and waves avalanching, when the lights dimmed and the shipwreck happened for perhaps the millionth time onstage in Charlottesville. As is the case for Viola and Sebastian, the brother and sister uncoupled on the high seas, it’s sink or swim time for the production.
And it sails, despite the smallest of chinks in the hull of this boat: an unexplained use of "Material Girl"-era fashion for the ladies of Olivia’s court that fits their physical acting well and makes for a few laughs; the equally unexplained clothing of two officers of Illyria who look like Agent Smith from The Matrix, only funny if you announce their entrance to friends under your breath ("Missster Annnderson"). The UVA drama department‘s set design team wins big again with a sweeping background of a foamy squall and a large wall that raises and lowers to move characters in and out of the storm swiftly.
But the storm comes indoors as well, thanks to Karie Miller’s performance as Olivia, commanding and aggressive enough to suggest a female Prospero minus the contemplation, and Whelden’s turn as Feste. And if the play ends a bit in the red (a poorly selected song), it is negligible; the UVA drama department’s Twelfth Night is a welcome one, and merits a larger audience.
