TWELFTH NIGHT at The Old Globe
TWELFTH NIGHT is one of Shakespeare’s classic comedies, and the current production at The Olde Globe playing through July 9th invites the audience to a music-centered and lighthearted version that is lively, lyrical, and full of laughter!
Photo Credit: Biko Eisen-Martin as Orsino and Naian González Norvind as Viola in Courtesy of Jim Cox
With some of Shakespeare's most beloved themes, mistaken identities, unrequited love, and pompous fools who get their comeuppance, the play is a light and lively affair that had the audience around me laughing.
Viola (Naian González Norvind) has found herself on the island of Illyria after a shipwreck, where she has been separated from her twin brother Sebastian (Jose Balistrieri) who she believes to be dead. Alone in the world, she seeks safety and employment by dressing as a young man and calling herself Cesario in the court of the Duke or Orsinao (Biko Elsen-Martin).
Courtesy of Jim Cox
Through various servants, Orsino is trying and fails to woo Lady Olivia (Medina Senghore) who is in mourning and refuses to accept his suit. Orsino sends young Viola as Cesario to woo Olivia in his stead, and Olivia finds herself quickly falling for the Duke's servant instead of the Duke. Meanwhile, her household is also playing tricks, taking out their frustrations with the pompous and uptight steward Malvolio (Greg Germann) by convincing him that Olivia is actually in love with him.
Photo by Jim Cox.
Set on an airy and open Moroccan-inspired set by Lawrence E. Moten, III allow the hijinks, characters, and the sets to change easily as the scene requires. The edge of the stage is the rocky shoreline, and the entire set is used to great response as Sir Toby (Cornell Womack) hilariously continues to procure hidden bottles of wine from many hidden places throughout the set.
Norvind as Viola/Cesario is bright and passionate, both in her love for Orsino and in her ease in making the Elizabethan script sound natural. Eisen-Martin is convincingly love-addled that he does not think to question his growing fondness for his Cesario.
Senghore as Olivia is suitably severe in her mourning, but as her heart and inhibitions soften, her clothing and her girlish nature start to unfold. Balisteri as the lost brother Sebastian has a nice turn as a man confused by the nonsense these seemingly overfamiliar strangers confront him with, though he doesn't fight too hard when the beautiful Olivia approaches him thinking he is Cesario. The staging of the first entrance of the twins makes the audience second guess which is which and is neatly pulled off.
The show really belongs to the mischief makers, from Esco Jouléy as the clown who engages with Sir Toby in playing tricks, to the scene-stealing Jason O’Connell as a befuddled Sir Andrew who is there in a doomed effort to court Olivia. Germann’s Malvolio is still pompous and stuck up, and barely hides his disdain as he deals with them all, but also has a more sympathetic air than is usually portrayed.
Shakespeare in the Balboa Park is a great summer activity and TWELFTH NIGHT is a cheerful way to kick off this season.
How To Get Tickets
TWELFTH NIGHT is playing at The Old Globe in the outdoors Lowell Davies Festival Theatre through July 9th. For tickets and showtimes please go to www.theoldglobe.org