In street clothes, the actors trickled in from the wings, dispelling once and for all the many illusions of the night. While they seated themselves at the base of the Moore stage, director Mara Sabinson quipped.
"It's real. It's theater. It's Illyria," Sabinson said, brushing the sand of the set from her hands. After three hours of confusion, illusion and fantasy, one thing remained certain: the sand was for real.
Sabinson and actors stayed late to answer questions following their performance of "Twelfth Night" last Friday evening. Though obviously exhausted from a grueling week of tech and dress rehearsals and Thursday's opening night, the cast and crew were more than willing to share their opinions, and the prevailing mood was one of happiness.
A petite woman, Sabinson filled the space with her triangular red hair, theatrical expressions and intense energy. This energy was so obviously infused into rehearsals and prep-time: the production of "Twelfth Night" you'll see is, for the most part, fast paced and funny.
The play begins with Viola amiss in Illyria. Believing her twin brother Sebastian to have drowned at sea, she dons his dress, cuts her hair (Freud anyone?) and presents herself to work for the Duke Orsino as his eunuch Cesario.
Other characters include : the Countess Olivia who, at the play's beginning, is in full-fledged mourning for her dead brother; Sir Toby Belch, her cousin and a jovial drunk; Malvolio, her puritanical steward; and Feste the clown, a truly wise fool.
The plot: Viola falls in love with Orsino. Orsino loves Olivia. Olivia falls in love with Viola when Orsino sends "Cesario" in his place for wooing.
What then follows are the twists and turns of a near-hopeless love triangle, plus a series of pranks conjured up by Toby Belch and his posse.
The cast was great. Brenda Withers '00, who played Viola, was charming both as woman, man, and as something in between. She effectively connected to the Duke, as both Viola in love and Cesario as eunuch, and to the Countess, as Cesario, a most reluctant suitor.
Rachel Fink '01 was an impassioned Olivia. Max Gross '00 was satisfyingly hearty as Sir Toby Belch. Kinohi Nishikawa '01 played Malvolio with the just the right combination of severity and dazzling self-love.
Other notables: Morgan Faust '00 was an adorable Fabian and Jonah Blumstein '98 was a sharp Feste. Jeffrey Withers '02 charmed as Sebastian, and his scene with sister Brenda was particularly memorable.
Karl Polifka '01 stole the show as Sir Andrew Aguecheek. As Sir Toby's inept and clowning companion, Polifka was unconditionally endearing, with his bumbling walk, dopey voice and floppy yellow hair. He and Gross achieved near-perfect comic timing.
Sabinson's "Twelfth Night" is essentially a contemporary one, with an appropriately fantastical twist. The gestures are contemporary; the music is, for the most part, contemporary; the clowning is contemporary; the visual references are contemporary (Malvolio wears a face mask to bed).
As for the fantasy of "Twelfth Night" Kaitlyn Chantry '01 of the dramaturgs says, "not only does the play's action take place in a place whose name is similar to `illusion' and even 'delirium,' but also directly parallels Elysium, the Greco-Roman version of heaven. The world of 'Twelfth Night' is one in which illusion and delirium reign supreme, where the spirits of mythology seem to walk side-by-side with spirits of Illyria."
Sabinson tampers nicely with the play's illusion and fantasy. "This is Illyria, madam," the Sea Captain answers in response to Viola's question, with a flourish, gesturing to an almost comically bare stage. Illyria is all of a tall sparkly wall plus, at times, a tapestry of branches.
With minimal set and eerie, nearly surreal lighting, Sabinson's Illyria is a place of dreams. With contemporary allusions and particular attention to what's funny, Sabinson's "Twelfth Night" is a rather hip comedy.
"Twelfth Night" is playing at the Hop on the 17, 18, 19 and 20 at 8 pm, and on the 21 at 2 pm. A post-performance discussion with the dramaturgs and Professor of Drama Framji Minwalla will take place on the 19.
Tickets may be purchased at the Hop box office and are $3 for Dartmouth students, $5 for all other students, and $10.50 for the general public.
