Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night' at Utah State University
Max Falls as Sebastian and Shannon Peters as Viola from the Utah State University production of "Twelfth Night," playing Feb. 29-March 5. (photo by Andrew McAllister)
Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night will take stage at the Morgan Theatre in the Chase Fine Arts Center on the Utah State University Logan campus Feb. 29 through March 4 with a 7:30 p.m. curtain. A matinee performance is March 5 at 2 p.m. but there is no evening performance.
Twelfth Night contains innuendo and double entendre common to all Shakespeare. The length of the show and story line may be inappropriate for 12 and under.
In the play, twins Viola and Sebastian are separated in a shipwreck and each believes the other is dead. Viola dresses as her brother and becomes a trusted confidante to Count Orsino. Orsino is madly in love with Countess Olivia who, in turn, falls in love with the in-disguise version of Viola. Riotous disorder ensues.
“I believe this play carries prominent themes of life, death and love,” director Jason Spelbring said. “It’s interesting to find such a dark side in a comedy but it actually starts in a very dark place that grows to a beautiful, bright place. Our production will visually reflect this.”
Spelbring was recently named one of the 50 most influential people on the USU campus by the USU Statesman.
Spelbring said the show has a great behind-the-scenes team. Nancy Hills, associate professor in the Caine College of the Arts, designs costumes for the show, graduate students have completed lighting and set designs and an undergraduate student is working sound design.
“This is one of Shakespeare’s most musical plays,” Spelbring said. “The character Feste sings a lot of songs and the actor will be singing live with guitar.”
Spelbring’s team has created an Act 0, Scene 0 “prologue” for the play to help the storytelling process. He says a lot of people have “Shakesfear” and are worried Shakespeare’s plays will be difficult to understand.
“My job as a director is to make the story very clear,” Spelbring said. “Anyone who comes to see this production will not have a problem following the plot. Act 0, Scene 0 has a tableau that will help patrons understand what is going on.”
Life imitates art in the Caine College of the Arts’ production of Twelfth Night. The plot is heavy with sibling themes and there are two actual sets of siblings in the cast, Michael and Katie Francis and Shannon and Shawn Peters.
“The concept of darkness into light and following the journey of characters who find themselves in unsavory positions, but discover there’s more, makes the play into must-see entertainment,” Spelbring said. “Things are better than your darkest fear.”
Twelfth Night is rated at PG-13 due to adult innuendo. The play is shows Feb. 29-March 4 at 7:30 p.m. and March 5 at 2 p.m. in the Morgan Theatre in the Chase Fine Arts Center on the USU Logan campus. Tickets are $13 adults, $10 seniors/youth, $8 USU faculty/staff and free for USU students with ID. For more information or tickets, contact the CCA Box Office in room L101 of the Chase Fine Arts Center on USU’s campus, call 435-797-8022 or see the college’s website.
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Writer and contact: Whitney Schulte, 435-797-9203, whitney.schulte@usu.edu
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