Twelfth Night
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Summer 2019 JUNE 7-AUGUST 11 Twelfth Night As You Like It Romeo and Juliet King Charles III A Future History Play by Mike Bartlett King John Twelfth Night By William Shakespeare Directed by Timothy Orr Artistic team Cast Director (in order of appearance) Timothy Orr Viola, a shipwrecked lady, Feste, clown, Olivia’s jester Rinde Eckert* Scenic Designer later disguised as Cesario Amber Scales Caitlin Ayer^ Olivia, a countess Jessica Robblee* Costume Designer Captain of the wrecked ship, Meghan Anderson Doyle who befriends Viola Malvolio, Olivia’s steward Mark Collins Gareth Saxe* Lighting Designer Shannon McKinney^ Orsino, Duke of Illyria Antonia, a sea-captain, who Marco Robinson* Sound Designer befriends Sebastian Jason Ducat Curio, gentleman attending on Orsino Madison Hart Jason Toennis Music Composer Sebastian, Viola’s twin brother, Rinde Eckert Valentine, gentleman attending also shipwrecked on Orsino Dante Rossi Fight Choreographer Matt Bender Christopher DuVal Fabian, a member of Olivia’s household Sir Toby Belch, Olivia’s kinsman Rakeem Lawrence Choreographer Robert Sicular* Erika Randall Servant in Olivia’s household Maria, Olivia’s waiting-gentlewoman Isobel Rosie Makin Casting Director Emma Messenger Sylvia Gregory, CSA Officers Sir Andrew Aguecheek, companion Mark Collins, Jason Toennis Dramaturg to Sir Toby Amanda Giguere Priest Rodney Lizcano* Mark Collins Voice and Text Coach Jeffrey Parker Stage Manager Stacy R. Norwood* Assistant Stage Manager Nicole Kutcher* Production sponsors: Savory Cuisines, Alpine Animal Hospital, Elevations Credit Union, Hazel’s Beverage World and Wright Water Engineers ^ Member of United Scenic Artists * Appears courtesy of the Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States #coshakes · @coshakes 19 Plot synopsis Director’s note After a catastrophic shipwreck, the young, resourceful Twelfth Night is probably my favorite play by William Viola washes ashore in Illyria and concocts a survival plan. Shakespeare. It is certainly my favorite of his comedies. It is Believing her twin brother drowned in the wreck, she dons a marvelous contraption combining a shipwreck, mistaken male attire, calls herself Cesario and finds employment with identities, multiple love triangles, a gang of loonies, happy Orsino, Duke of Illyria. endings, and music. But there are also darker threads of horrific bullying and ruined lives. In my mind, it is a beautiful Orsino pines for the Countess Olivia, who, grieving the recent party (disguised as a play) that goes bonkers. As Fabian deaths of her brother and father, refuses Orsino’s advances. notes, “If this were played upon a stage now, I would Orsino sends “Cesario” (Viola in disguise) to woo Olivia on condemn it as an improbable fiction.” his behalf. Olivia falls in love with the messenger, and Viola, who secretly adores Orsino, finds herself in a love triangle. Anchoring this story, though, is our heroine, Viola: washed ashore in a strange land, uncertain of her future but fiercely Meanwhile, Olivia’s drunken uncle, Sir Toby Belch, determined to untangle her predicament and succeed. Her encourages the wealthy but dim-witted Sir Andrew determination plunges her into the middle of players engaged Aguecheek to woo Olivia. When Olivia’s butler, Malvolio, in a game whose rules she doesn’t yet understand. Her wits interrupts a late-night celebration, Sir Toby conspires with and improvisation skills are all she has. other members of Olivia’s household to get back at Malvolio. They forge a letter from Olivia, convincing Malvolio that she My way into this production of Twelfth Night came from two loves him and instructing him to wear yellow stockings to ideas: the sea and play. First, the sea. By now, you’ve realized prove his affection for Olivia. Malvolio obeys the letter and this play is taking place outdoors, starting in daylight. In the becomes the laughingstock of the household. Because he is world of theatre magic where anything is possible, these presumed mad, Malvolio is confined to a prison, where his are two things we cannot alter. Early on, I was inspired by enemies continue to torment him. the idea that Illyria is near the sea and what that represents: being born from the ocean and being borne by the ocean. Unbeknownst to Viola, her twin, Sebastian, survived the Whether you are coming out of it or heading in, it’s the start shipwreck and arrives in Illyria. Olivia encounters Sebastian, of an adventure. I knew I wanted to embrace the open-aired mistakes him for Cesario and proposes marriage. To her sky and energy of a summer evening in Boulder and to ensure surprise, Sebastian agrees, and they quickly wed. Shortly that this seaside story would live in an outdoor world. after the wedding, Orsino, accompanied by Cesario, arrives at Olivia’s house to plead his case once more. When Play. Illyria is a fantastical place full of mischief. There are Sebastian and Cesario (Viola) appear in the same location, child-like qualities to this play: the flirting, the note passing, the confusion is sorted out, the twins are reunited and Orsino the music-making, the make-believe elements—and also asks for Viola’s hand in marriage. the cruelty. When the pranks and mischief go too far, the comedy swerves into territory that is unexpected, unsettling, Just as happiness appears on the horizon, the wronged and ultimately, very human. For many young people in our Malvolio is released from prison and confronts Olivia. When audience this summer, this will be the first Shakespeare play he realizes he was the victim of a cruel joke, Malvolio swears they have ever seen. I welcome that responsibility. I want revenge and departs. The happy couples make plans for their them to see how this marvelous contraption—this comedy upcoming nuptial celebrations. of misrule—fractures into laughs, pathos, regret, reunion, —Amanda Giguere marriage, heartbreak and joy. —Timothy Orr 20 2019 Colorado Shakespeare Festival Photo: CSF’s production of Twelfth Night, 2005 Revelry and misrule: Twelfth Night’s festive roots Twelfth Night was likely written for a 1601-02 court performance on Twelfth Night, a topsy-turvy celebration in which social order was temporarily suspended. This upside-down holiday is not unique to Elizabethan England; throughout history, other cultures have established comparable traditions of wintertime misrule. Twelfth Night (Jan. 6, the eve of Epiphany) marked the end of the Christmas season with a final night of merriment, feasting and disguise. One seasonal tradition was a bean baked in a cake (sometimes called the Twelfth Night cake). The lucky bean-finder became the Lord of Misrule and oversaw the Christmas festivities. In most noble households, a Lord of Misrule presided over a mock court, arranged for household entertainment, and was sometimes subjected to a mock execution. The roots of this type of wintertime social release can be traced to the ancient Roman Saturnalia, a December festival honoring the god Saturn. An appointed leader organized the celebrations, which included role reversals (a master and slave might swap roles), gift-giving, singing, gambling, decorating homes, dancing and candle-lighting. Regular life was suspended during Saturnalia, and the rules that governed society were put on hold. A medieval winter festival emerged in the Christian tradition that hearkened back to Rome’s Saturnalia. The Feast of Fools, established by the clergy in the 12th century, was a liturgical celebration held around Jan. 1. A lord of the revels (Dominus festi) was appointed from the lower clergy to supervise the activities. During the Feast of Fools, the lord of the revels might deliver a mock mass in gibberish, clothes were worn backwards, and clergymen might dress as women. This liturgical festival was an opportunity for the church to playfully mock itself and embrace the temporary suspension of routine. By the early 15th century, the Feast of Fools fell out of favor with the church and largely dissolved. When called upon to defend the event in 1444, a group of French clerics stated, “We do these things ... so that once a year the foolishness in us can come out and evaporate.” Across many periods of human history, it seems that culturally-sanctioned misrule might, in fact, strengthen social order. Why have cultures, from ancient Rome to Elizabethan England, felt compelled to release something when the temperature drops and turn the world on its head? Some present-day traditions (April Fools’ Day, Halloween) could be interpreted as part of the same tradition. Or perhaps live theatre, with its role reversal, disguise and merriment, functions as yet another incarnation of festive release. As an audience, we have permission to get lost in the temporary madness, celebrate a fictional world, and finally, settle back into our world with a fresh perspective. —Amanda Giguere VIOLA/CESARIO sister to marries at the end SEBASTIAN with attempts to woo falls in love DUKE ORSINO marries at the end SIR AGUECHEEK is courted by tricked into wooing OLIVIA MALVOLIO Costume renderings by Meghan Anderson Doyle #coshakes · @coshakes 21 WHO’S WHO TWELFTH AS YOU ROMEO AND KING KING ACTOR NIGHT LIKE IT JULIET CHARLES III JOHN Casey Andree William Abram / Friar John Matt Bender Valentine / First Watch Sea Captain / Mark Collins Officer / Priest Silvius / Charles Sean Michael / Ensemble Cummings Musician Sarah / Ghost / TV Producer / Anastasia Free Newspaper Davidson Woman Orlando / William / Prince Harry / Seth Dhonau* Ensemble Ensemble Lewis Escalus / Rinde Eckert* Feste Apothocary Madison Hart Antonia Juliet Jim Hunt Lord Montague Duke Senior / Duke Frederick / John Hutton* Audrey King Charles III Touchstone / Adam / Amiens / Tristan Evans / Josh Innerst* Ensemble Ensemble Hubert Dee Jimenez Nick / Terry Earl of Salisbury Justin Johnson Spencer / Butler Gregory / Third Rakeem Lawrence Fabian / Sailor Watch Sir Andrew Rodney Lizcano* Aguecheek Paris Shunté Lofton Celia / Ensemble Jess Constance Olivia’s Servant / Paris’ Page / Isobel Rosie Makin Ensemble Citizen Arthur Emma Messenger Maria Nurse Oliver / Corin / Cootsey / Paul / Earl of Pembroke / Jihad Milhem Ensemble Sir Michael Limoges Phebe / Jaques / Le Beau / Mrs.