SAN DIEGO — If you were a young woman lost and alone in a strange land, how would you get by? How would you protect yourself from the dangers of a big city?
Rescued from a shipwreck, Viola finds herself orphaned and alone in Illyria, a land just across the Adriatic from Italy. So she masquerades as a young man, getting a job as an errand boy for Duke Orsino. And thus, her life gets complicated.
“Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage.”
Viola falls in love with her boss, the Duke, who is in love with a countess, Lady Olivia, who falls in love with Viola –whom she thinks is a young man named Cesario. Olivia has also sparked a passion in her servant, Malvolio, whom everyone detests for being a wet blanket on their debauchery.
Don’t think of this as a typical Old Globe production of Shakespeare with elaborate sets and a pageant of period costumes. Done in conjunction with USD’s Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, this is more like a high-energy college show performed on a tight budget with great passion.
Sets in a black box theatre tend to be minimal as the stage is small and surrounded by the audience. Scenic Designer Robin Sanford Roberts had just three tables, some mismatched chairs and tatami mats (the kind used in judo class). Costumes by Elisa Benzoni are a playful hodge-podge of colors and patterns like garments from a child’s dress-up trunk.
Bibi Mama is earnest and insistent as Viola with just enough masculine swag to pull off her masquerade as Cesario. Hallie Patterson as the “fair cruelty” Olivia is cold and acerbic without, yet lonely and lovesick within. Her crush on Cesario lifts her veil of mourning, revealing a giddy schoolgirl that makes us giggle with her.
The broad comedy of Chris Cruz and Mason Conrad is fun to watch as they play the drunkards, Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Poor in manners and rich in slapstick, they were the Bard’s way of giving his rough- handed groundlings a much-needed way to laugh at their betters. And Klarissa Marie Robles’ Maria keeps these unruly hounds leashed like a master dog-walker.
Olivia’s churlish butler, Malvolio –played by Marco Antonio Vega- was just too much. His performance lacked any substance or subtlety and his mannerisms were just too gay to be believably enamored of his lady. I also don’t know about casting a woman, Claire Simba, as Orsino. There’s enough gender-bending in this show without adding to the confusion.
Two of Orsino’s servants play disco-themed gay stereotypes in leather and velvet that nowadays feels played out. However, the sensuous chemistry between Sebastian and Antonio smolders as they meet each other’s eyes across the stage. Whatever Everett Ramon Burris and Jonathan Aaron Wilson did backstage in rehearsal to achieve this… that’s their business.
Summer Broyhill is wise enough to play the Fool. In this case, “fool” is not an insult, but a steady gig as an entertainer. She really owns her moments, jesting with a clever wit and singing with a mellifluous voice like Joan Baez. Keep your eye on this one.
Raise a glass to director Jesse Perez and the cast and crew of Twelfth Night for a wild ride with many twists and turns, laughs and cheers and a big splash at the end. I was pleased to see the house filled with USD students at Sunday’s matinee, some getting their first real taste of Shakespeare. If there is a young palette that you would like to make hungry for more, this is the banquet to bring them to.
Twelfth Night is playing at the Old Globe through Nov 10.
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Eric George Tauber is a freelance who specializes in coverage of the arts. He may be contacted via eric.tauber@sdjewishworld.com