Image: Optimist Theatre
Optimist Theatre
Optimist Theatre
It’s finally summer (officially) and that means it’s time for Shakespeare in the Park courtesy of Optimist Theatre. Once again, this troupe of actors takes to the outdoors to present the Bard’s works in abridged version (read: shortened up to 80-90 minutes with no intermission).
This summer, it’s Twelfth Night or What SHE Will playing at a local green space near you. And it’s one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies that will leave you rolling in the grass, or at the very least, chucking in your lawn chairs. And in these times of rising costs, all the performances are free.
The original play references “the 12th night” or final night of entertainment and festivities to close the Christmas season. (That was back in the beginning of the 16th century when Shakespeare first wrote the play).
This production of Twelfth Night or What SHE Will follows the story of hidden identities (Shakespeare loved putting women in men’s role and men in women’s roles) resulting in the humorous (to the audience, at least) confusion that results in courtships and relationships. Twelfth Night gives us the beloved drunken character of Sir Toby Belch (yes, a bad and deliberate pun), the conniving Malvolio, and Viola, disguised as Cesario, wooing the Countess Olivia who’s grieving the recent death of her brother. Got all that?
The cast features some familiar names we’ve seen in past OT productions: Libby Amato as Maria; Susie Duecker as Feste; Kaitlin Feely as Olivia; Siddhartha Rajan as Sir Andrew Aguecheek; Brielle Richmond as Viola / Cesario; Deshawn Thomas as Count Orsino; Andrew Varela as Malvolio; and Ken T. Williams as Sir Toby Belch.
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So, if you’re looking for a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon outside in the summer, this show’s for you.
Live performances of Twelfth Night or What SHE Will are staged at 10 outdoor green spaces throughout the greater Milwaukee area through Aug. 7. Online registration (not the same as reservations) is greatly encouraged. For more information, visit: www.optimisttheatre.org
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