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Regional Reviews: St. Louis Twelfth Night Also see Richard's reviews of Romanov Family Yard Sale, LaBute New Theater Festival and My Heart Says Go
I've never seen the same Macbeth twice, nor Hamlet, nor Richard III, nor Romeo and Juliet. In style, casting and budget, each new revival delivers you to someplace new. As a result, Shakespeare gives us the live stage equivalent of the "compulsory exercises" of some great international sporting event, where each competitor starts with the same requirements but inevitably mutates in planning and rehearsals. And so it is here, with the reliable comedy of Twelfth Night at Clayton Community Theatre, under the very sure hand of director Heather Sartin. It's an all-female cast, which of course sounds like a stunt. But it becomes a stylish asset in attaining an ultra-natural Elizabethan elegance–especially with endearing Claire Coffey as Viola: a heartwarming actress who adds up each new moment in the flash of an eye. As you recall, Viola and her brother Sebastian (very fine Emilee Murphree) are separated in a shipwreck (and yes, I did get a bit weepy when they finally were reunited). But way before that, Viola dresses as a man to get a job working for Orsino (expertly played by Deborah Roby), who's spurned by the lady Olivia (played by everybody's favorite human being, Katie Puglisi, who's fun and smart and down to earth as always). Olivia swoons for Viola in trousers, and the officious servant Malvolio (always perfect Erin Struckhoff) is tricked into falling for Olivia. And (just maybe) Twelfth Night looks different every time because nobody in the audience could possibly keep track of all the lovers' triangles, going into the theater. Diminutive Bryn Sentnor is smashing as Feste, with very good "three stooges" machinations by Anne Vega as Toby Belch, Carolyn Bergdolt as Andrew Aguecheek, and Jan Meyer as Fabian. Therese Melnykov deserves special mention (for high snark and crystal clarity) as Maria, who forges the love letters from Olivia to Malvolio. There's a fun on-stage women's band of singers and instrumentalists. The first three pre-show numbers are a little up there in the spinto-soprano range before the chorus lilts lower and sweeter and (you might say) more manly for the remainder of the pre-show. The reassuringly Renaissance costumes and set decoration are by Rob Corbett, with some fresh new color in the doublets and pumpkin pants. Most notably, perhaps, the text is so well-trimmed that the whole thing dashes by in 100 minutes, without an intermission. Which is great in itself, these fast-paced days. And I've never seen that before! Twelfth Night runs through July 21, 2024, at the Washington University South Campus, 6501 Clayton Road, St. Louis MO. Showtimes Thursday-Saturday are at 7:30 p.m. For tickets and information, please visit www.placeseveryone.org. Cast (alphabetically-ish): The Revelers Guild (chorus and band): Original lyrics to "Illyria In Distress" written by Megan Page Wiegert, in collaboration with the Revelers Guild Production Staff: |
