By Joel Applegate
In the Pioneer Theatre’s latest production, Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, we find that relationships, well, they’re complicated. Especially when disguised as the opposite sex.
Sir Andrew blesses the fair shrew, and then demurs before the sword; Sir Toby’s world is all holiday laced with the contents of a flask; the fool Feste is no fool; and the hapless Malvolio rises and falls before them. I have a soft spot for Malvolio, and think the reason for this is that he doesn’t act the churl until he’s plotted against by the aforementioned noblemen, a jester, and a lady-in-waiting. Perhaps he is a bit of a churl, but he is mercilessly tricked and used by careless gallants out for a joke. Why is Malvolio so maligned? I’m inspired to go more deeply into the study of this character when I have more time, but he first appears as the most level-headed of the bunch. All five of these souls are played, respectfully, with playful assurance by Conner Marx, Kenajuan Bentley, Richard E. Waits, Susanna Florence, and the veteran actor, David Andrew Macdonald. As Malvolio, Macdonald was most at ease on the stage, perfectly over-the-top later when he dons his garters, and a stalwart steward to his mistress, the Countess Olivia.
And it is Olivia who complicates things. In mourning for deceased family members, the Countess refuses the suit of Duke Orsino; refuses even to love, until Orsino’s liaison, Cesario, pleads his case. Then love is awakened, but not for Orsino. Blindsided by the youthful Cesario, she is at once head-over-heels. Cesario, not so much, because of the simple fact that he is a she; more precisely, a woman named Viola (Grace Morrison), shipwrecked with her twin brother Sebastian. Thinking she lost her brother, she disguises herself as a man to gain employment in Orsino’s household.
Meanwhile, Viola – disguised as the male Cesario throughout most of the play – is falling in love with Duke Orsino, who ironically employs her as his go-between. As Viola, Morrison impressed me with her clarity. Despite her dissembling, Morrison struck notes of both romance and determination. I was oddly moved by her “green & yellow melancholy” when she speaks of herself as a person separated from love. In her encounters with Olivia, played by Kelsey Rainwater, these actors skillfully project both their coy jockeying and their underlying intent. Rainwater is seamless going from mourning to dew-eyed paramour, and the rounded tones in her speaking voice has a most pleasant effect. The third leg of this triangular love is Duke Orsino, rendered with confidence and panache by A.K. Murtadha.
Morrison as Viola, and Zach Fifer, who plays her lost twin brother, Sebastian, are actors that are very well paired. Fifer is Viola’s perfect complement, manly and gentle. The challenge to any director of Twelfth Night is to make these twins distinctive to the audience but convincingly alike to the Countess and the Duke in suspended belief as brother and sister… spoiler? No, not really, we meet them as castaways at the beginning of the play – until fateful waves carry them apart. Assisting Sebastian ashore after the shipwreck is his friend, the Captain, played by an actor I’ve long admired on the Salt Lake scene, Daniel Beecher. Beecher is as much at home in Shakespeare’s language as he is at the nuance of modern dialogue; and he’s no slouch at a nice bit of swordplay either.
I particularly enjoyed watching all of these actors in this color-blind cast. It was a tutorial for me as I studied each of them, even when they weren’t speaking. But of special interest to me was the Fool, Feste, embodied in Richard E. Waits. Waits is a Feste embracing the good life; “Present mirth hath present laughter.” But he was “neither mad man nor fool.” There is a gravity to this Feste, making him one of the most appealing characters of the night. I couldn’t help but think at one point, “Is Feste stealing the show?”Well, I think he purloined the first act, anyway, drawing applause more than once. Waits also composed the music and sang two songs for this production. I don’t know the titles, but I melted during his second song – a deeply tonal tune about Rain. As the court jester, Feste does indeed prove he’s “no fool, but a corruptor of words.”
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Set in frontier New Orleans in 1812 instead of the original Adriatic coast, the design of this beautiful piece is at once rustic and florid, playing with costuming, settings, and music. It’s Mardi Gras, and drumbeats open both halves of this production – a street scene of color and combat. I loved the entire environment of this production. Choosing to flip the two opening scenes, director Larry Carpenter brings on the sights and sounds of a gale at sea, a nice harkening forward to the The Tempest, Shakespeare’s other storm-tossed tale. In both, it is the event that instigates the plot. I applaud his choice of a milieu delightfully appropriate to Twelfth Night’s whimsical intrigue. And he chose a great production team, pulling a designer for both sets and costumes together in one talented person, G.W. Mercier. The set bespeaks the architecture of baroque New Orleans with eye-catching detail and flexibility, while the exemplary costuming goes from sparkling mourning weeds to snappy uniforms, uniting the sense of place and time.
In wrapping up, it’s really not complicated at all: You should go see Pioneer Theatre’s spectacularly visual production, Twelfth Night.
Pioneer Theatre Company presents Twelfth Night, or What You Will by William Shakespeare
Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, 300 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
March 30 – April 14, 2018 Monday-Thursday 7:00 PM; Friday-Saturday 7:30 PM; Saturday matinees 2:00 PM
Tickets: $$38 – $44 in advance ($5 more day of show); half-price for K-12 students for Monday and Tuesday shows
Contact: 801-581-6961
Pioneer Theatre Company’s Facebook Page
Twelfth Night Facebook Event
Photos courtesy of Pioneer Theatre Company and J. Omar Hansen
Tags: Larry Carpenter, G.W. Mercier, Conner Marx, Grace Morrison, Zach Fifer, Kelsey Rainwater, A.K. Murtadha, Richard E. Waits, Susanna Florence, David Andrew Macdonald, Daniel Beecher, Kenajuan Bentley, J. Omar Hansen, Freddie Bennett, Joel Applegate, William Shakespeare
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