Texas Tech University’s Department of Theatre & Dance presents Twelfth Night, or What You Will May 1-4 on the Maedgen Mainstage, located at 2812 18th Street between Boston and Flint Avenues. Curtain times are 8 pm Thursday through Saturday and 2 pm on Sunday.
One of Shakespeare’s funniest comedies, Twelfth Night features heart-sick nobles, saucy servants, and mistaken identities: all colliding in a delightful mix of the high and low about the things we do for love. In the words of Duke Orsino, "If music be the food of love, play on!"
Brother and sister Viola and Sebastian, who are not only very close but look a great deal alike, are in a shipwreck, and both think the other dead. When Viola lands in a foreign country, she dresses as her brother and becomes a trusted friend and confidante to the Count Orsino. Orsino is madly in love with the lady Olivia, who is in mourning due to her brother's recent death. Orisino sends Cesario (Viola) to help woo Olivia, but Olivia will not be wooed by Orsino and instead falls in love with the disguised maiden.
Things get more complicated in this bittersweet Shakespeare comedy when a moronic knight, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and a self-important servant, Malvolio, get caught up in the schemes of Olivia's cousin, alcoholic Sir Toby Belch, who leads each to believe Olivia loves him.
The cast of Twelfth Night features a mix of graduate and undergraduate students from the Texas Tech Department of Theatre & Dance.
When Director Bill Gelber was asked why he wanted to bring this play to the Maedgen Mainstage, he responded, “Twelfth Night is my favorite comedy by Shakespeare. It has everything: humor, love, madness, darkness and light. We’ll have live period music, and some of the audience will be on the stage with the actors.”
He continued, “The cast is learning how to live in the world of the play and to use Shakespeare’s words to help them realize the story. It’s a wonderful ensemble of people.”
Tickets for Twelfth Night, or What you Will are $18 for individuals and $5 for students with a valid student ID. A limited number of free student rush tickets are available for Texas Tech Students. For more information call the Maedgen box office at (806) 742-3603.
