NEW YORK—Twelfth Night is my very favorite of Shakespeare’s comedies, as it combines so many elements: sheer comedy (sometimes of a slapstick nature), tender love, mistaken identity, bittersweet sadness and a sense of loss, characters both delicate and rough, pomposity and lyricism, and some of the Bard’s loveliest poetry and song.
Bear in mind also that in Shakespeare’s day, all roles were played by men. So in those days there was Viola, a female played by a male, then “pretending” to be a male. In this production, as in almost all productions after Shakespeare’s time, Viola is played by a woman, in this case, Ali Ahn, who must pretend at times to be the male, Cesario.
Bear in mind also that Shakespeare has supplied a subtitle: “Or What You Will.” What you choose to make of it—perhaps whatever you wish. Interestingly, Twelfth Night is the only play that Shakespeare subtitled.
The plot, briefly: Viola has been shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria, along with her twin brother, Sebastian (Joseph Midyett). The pair has been separated and Sebastian is feared drowned. Viola, alone and on her own resources, disguises herself as a boy (for a woman traveling alone at that time might meet an unseemly end) and wends her way inland and luckily lands employment with the Duke Orsino (Michael Gabriel Goodfriend).
Orsino is smitten with the lovely noblewoman Olivia (Rachel Botchan). But she still mourns the death of her brother and refuses to entertain the thought of love. However, when Orsino sends Viola as his emissary to woo Olivia on his behalf, Olivia is smitten by the attractive messenger, Viola, in the guise of the young man, Cesario. Viola, for her part, has eyes only for Orsino. As Viola sighs, “Time, Thou must untangle this, not I.”
Cesario shakes things up on the premises of both Olivia and Orsino. Olivia’s woman servant, Maria (Robin Leslie Brown), having a wicked sense of humor, helps complicate matters and urges Olivia’s kinsman Malvolio (Dominic Cuskern) to make a fool of himself in front of Olivia. Other comic characters include Sir Andrew Aguecheek (David L. Townsend) and Sir Toby Belch (Bradford Cover). Actor Sean McNall does a nice turn singing and acting as the clown, Feste.
Under J.R. Sullivan’s direction, this Twelfth Night is a pleasant production, a bit too subdued, perhaps. One high moment, however, was the show-off-y cross-gartering scene of Dominic Cuskern’s Malvolio. Overall, simply a higher energy level might have helped, the performance I saw.
The simple but effective set by Harry Feiner complemented the production, as did Liz Covey’s costumes.
Tuesday Talk-backs with scholars and experts in their field will take place after the performances on February 10 and 17, with Dr. Jean Howard.
A production of Twelfth Night, or any Shakespeare play, is always a boon to New York’s theatergoing public.
The Pearl Theatre Company, now celebrating its 25th season, under Shepard Sobel’s artistic direction, maintains a resident company of actors—a daunting feat and a rarity in theatre anywhere—and concentrates on producing the classics in repertory. In fact, by the end of the 2008-09 season, the Pearl will have presented 125 plays, by authors as diverse and important as Sophocles, Moliere, Ibsen, Chekhov, and G. Bernard Shaw. Moliere’s Tartuffe follows in March.
Twelfth Night
The Pearl Theatre Company
Theatre 80
80 St. Marks Place
Tickets: (212) 598-9802
Closes: February 22
Diana Barth writes and publishes New Millennium, an arts newsletter. For information: [email protected]
