{"id":650,"date":"2023-06-07T00:25:18","date_gmt":"2023-06-07T00:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stageraw.com\/remake\/?p=650"},"modified":"2023-06-12T00:49:26","modified_gmt":"2023-06-12T00:49:26","slug":"twelfth-night-or-what-you-will","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stageraw.com\/remake\/twelfth-night-or-what-you-will\/","title":{"rendered":"Twelfth Night (Or What You Will)"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

Twelfth Night (Or What You Will)<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Reviewed by Mart<\/strong>\u1f77<\/strong>n Hern<\/strong>\u00e1<\/strong>ndez<\/strong>
\nThe Long Beach Shakespeare Company<\/em><\/strong>
\nThrough June 17<\/strong><\/p>\n

That adolescent boys and young men played the female roles in William Shakespeare\u2019s day surely wreaked humorous havoc on the Bard\u2019s gender-bending comedy. Director Ken Knight has gone a step further, casting women in some of the male roles, and thus amping up the gender fluid frivolity of this classic romp with the timely message that love comes in many forms.<\/p>\n

A lovestruck Orsino (Paul Dixon), Duke of Illyria, pines for the Countess Olivia (Rachel Speth) who, in profound mourning for her recently deceased father and brother, has isolated herself from all visitors, much less suitors. Upholding the somber ambience of the household \u2014 as well as keeping all intruders out \u2014 is Olivia\u2019s strict attendant Curio (Phoebe Balson): the prudish stewardess Malvolia (Ryan Holland, replacing male Malvolio in the original text), who constantly restrains the hijinks of the merrier members of Olivia\u2019s household; a ukelele strumming jester Feste (the dulcet-voiced Sara Neal ); rowdy maid Maria (Amazing Oakes), tipsy uncle Sir Toby Belch (Jonah Goger) and jilted admirer Sir Andrew (Eduardo Mora).<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a violent storm has shipwrecked the noblewoman Viola (Aura Rico) and her twin brother Sebastian (Jake Soss) on the shores of Illyria. They are separated, with Viola rescued by the ship\u2019s captain and Sebastian feared lost to the tempest. A woman alone in a strange land, Viola pulls back her hair, slaps on a fake mustache, and cross-dresses as Cesario, who Orsino hires to help him woo the fair Olivia. Calamity ensues as unrequited love and mistaken identity mix for a comical roundelay.<\/p>\n

Despite \u2013 or perhaps because \u2013 of the limited stage space, the cast adroitly handles Knight\u2019s inventive slapstick moves \u2014even as his inventive casting mines novel entanglements. The Jack Sparrow-like pirate Antonio (Andrew Tyrell-Smith), who saved Sebastian from the brink, harbors a fierce affection for his new friend. While declaring, \u201cI do not without danger walk these streets,\u201d the tough yet tender Antonio enters the dreaded Illyria to help Sebastian find Viola. Malvolia\u2019s atypical romantic stirrings, arising from the subterfuge of Feste, Maria, Toby, and Andrew, present some scene stealing opportunities for Holland that she grabs with gusto.<\/p>\n

For the most part, the cast display exemplary comfort with the text, with just a few bumps along the dialogical road. Rico is splendid as Viola, humorously fighting for sanity in the madness she created. Oakes comes close to embodying her first name, with amusing facial expressions and body gestures that are enhanced by her lanky countenance. Though volume levels were inconsistent, Knight\u2019s pop song interludes set the appropriate ambience for the ensuing scenes and truly do serve as food for love, so play on.<\/p>\n

The Long Beach Shakespeare Company, Helen Borgers Theatre, 4250 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.; through June 17;\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>https:\/\/www.lbshakespeare.org\/<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0Running time: two hours and 15 minutes with an intermission.<\/em><\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”902″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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