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Twelfth Night

Presented by Utah Shakespearean Festival at Willow Creek Middle School

April 24, 2009

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'Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's great comedies, because of its accessibility and relevance,' said Festival Education Director Michael Bahr. 'Students relate easily to the familiar elements that Shakespeare uses in the play: twins separated, girls disguised as boys, and mistaken identities.' The tour will spend 14 weeks on the road visiting schools, community centers and prisons across Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and Idaho with 55 performances. In the style of a roving carnival group, the troupe of actors and technicians present Shakespeare's beloved comedy in a new and exciting way. At the start of the production the actors arrive carrying trunks filled with costumes and props. Eight actors play 18 different roles, and audiences will actually see the actors put on various costumes and become different characters. Director Ann Tully worked with her designers to create a timeless yet contemporary feel for the production. The costume design combines modern dress with Shakespearean dress illuminating the fact that the characters in Twelfth Night are always role-playing and hiding who they truly are. 'At one time or another, most people pretend to be someone they are not,' said Bahr. 'This is especially common with junior high and high school students who costume themselves to fit in certain categories: the jock, the cowboy, etc. Throughout our teens, we engage in role-playing in our struggle to survive, fit in, and discover ourselves.' Tully says her concept for the production originated in this idea of role-playing and costumes. 'All the characters in the play are in disguise at some point or another,' said Tully. 'They are continuously pretending to be something they are not, and they all eventually learn to be honest with themselves and others.' Each year, the Festival creates a production of a Shakespeare classic to visit communities across four western states. The eleven-person touring group serves as both the acting company and technical crew for each production, with eight actors, a stage manager, technical director, and company manager. The group also works with students in workshops ranging from stage combat to Shakespearean text.