I can count the number of times I’ve reluctantly enjoyed a William Shakespeare play on one hand, but Wichita State’s School of Performing Arts has added another play to that list.
Written by Shakespeare in the early seventeenth century, “Twelfth Night” is a romantic comedy, which was influential due to its reversal of societal roles.
“Twelfth Night” follows the story of a girl named Viola. Thinking her brother is dead, she pretends to be a man named Cesario. Viola works for Duke Orsino, whom she falls in love with, but her sentiment is not shared as Orsino is in love with Countess Olivia.
In a desperate plea, Orsino sends Viola, acting as Cesario, to Olivia’s garden to woo her, and the countess falls in love with the false Cesario, unaware that her love is actually a woman.
One of the oldest love triangle stories, if you will.
This play was so ahead of its time. If they hadn’t spoken in early modern English, I would’ve thought this was written in modern-day times. It has drama; it has inappropriate innuendos; and it even has LGBTQ+ themes hidden throughout, an uncommon 17th-century occurrence.
While this is happening, Viola’s believed-to-be-dead brother, Sebastian, is roaming the streets, causing confusion and problems everywhere he goes.
Adding to the writing genius, the cast created a whole new layer that made it exciting and interesting to watch. It’s not easy to make words like “thee” and “thou” sound anything more than pretentious, but this cast did a wonderful job. Their diction was perfect and so comically timed when needed, while parts meant to tug at the heartstrings were beautifully delivered. Their responses and expressions helped emphasize what their character was feeling.
The simple stage of wrecked pirate ships, while the curtain was lined with treasure maps, set it apart from other productions of “Twelfth Night.” And costumes were brilliantly meshed with the dress from the 1600s.
But what really set this play on an “A” tier was the staging. All the movements seemed natural — not robotic and stiff. They moved around like they were actually the characters within the scene.
And the best part was the fight scene.
Late in the play, Antonio, a wanted man who rescued Sebastian, is caught by guards as he roams the streets. An epic sword fight breaks out between the two guards and Antonio, and when I say this thing looked cool, imagine 10 times what you believe the word “cool” means.
The movements were flawless, not a single stutter in swing or step. There were rolls, jumps and literal swords flying through the air. And even though it only lasted no more than three minutes, it has made a lasting impression on my mind. Everything about this scene was perfect.
Overall, “Twelfth Night” deserved every clap, laugh and giggle it received. It was hilarious and goofy, and I’m glad the Wichita State actors stepped up and embraced the silliness instead of backing away from the sheer ridiculousness of it all.
