Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare

directed by Mary Heatwole

February 23-25, 8pm
February 25, 2pm

Warner Main Space, Oberlin College

Shipwrecked and alone in a strange land, it is not long before Viola finds herself tangled in a torrid knot of romance and mistaken identity. Disguised as a man called “Cesario”, Viola befriends the pompous Duke Orsino, who, consumed with desire for the striking Countess Olivia, sends Viola on a desperate mission to earn the affection of the Countess. As romances bloom that are all too one-sided, Viola discovers she is trapped in her new identity and unable to honestly reveal her sentiments. Directed by Mary Heatwole ‘12, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a gender-bending adventure that promises to be both hilarious and heart wrenching.

Tickets

$3 In Advance
$5 At the Door

In Person
Tickets can be purchased in person at the Central Ticket Service in Hall Auditorium Lobby.
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 12pm to 5pm

By Phone
Contact Central Ticket Service at: (440) 775-8169 or 1-800-371-0178
Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 12pm to 5pm

Seating in Warner Main Space is limited and there is no late seating.

Warner Main Space is located in Warner Gymnasium 

This production is presented by the Oberlin College Theater and Dance Program. 

Artistic & Production Credits

Cast

Production Notes

“I’ve always thought that the themes Shakespeare appeals to are very timeless,” states Director Mary Heatwole. Shakespeare’s works examine such ideas as unrequited love, disappointment, and confusion, experiences everyone can relate to. After all, “Shakespeare just wants to tell a story.”

Twelfth Night tells the story of Viola, a “plucky young heroine”, who finds herself washed ashore in a foreign country. She disguises herself as a man named “Cesario” and enters the world of the Duke Orsino, whom she soon falls in love with. The Duke is madly in love with the distraught Countess Olivia, who has rejected all of the Duke’s previous efforts to woo her. When the Duke sends Viola to inform Olivia of his love, Olivia falls instead for Viola, whom she believes to be a man. As the romance unravels, a series of comic subplots play out and we meet Sir Toby and other hilarious court personalities.

“Twelfth Night is an interesting play about gender and gender relationships,” says Director Mary Heatwole. The boundary between genders blurs when Viola adopts the identity of “Cesario”. From that point forward, Viola’s “gender becomes more and more ambiguous.”

Heatwole was struck by the ambiguity present in this play, and for this reason, set the play in an indefinite setting. “I wasn’t concerned with pinpointing a specific location,” Heatwole explains, “An abstract location helps to embody the ambiguity of Viola, the protagonist, and also emphasizes the timelessness of Shakespeare.”

Do not miss this provoking tale of absurd spectacle, gender transcendence, and romance.

Bios

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (Playwright) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon". His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

MARY HEATWOLE (Director/Light Design) is a senior Theater and Politics major. She assistant-directed Play It Again, Sam, The Hothouse and directed 'dentity Crisis as part of the Directing Class One Acts last year. She has lit several Oberlin productions, including Love’s Labour’s Lost, Little Women, the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, All in The Timing, And Then There Were None, This Is Our Youth, Play It Again, Sam, last year’s Directing Class One Acts, and And What?!'s concert last semester. She stage-managed The Little Prince for the Oberlin Summer Theater Festival and The Hothouse. She also stage-managed Macbeth and Love's Labour's Lost for New York University's Looking for Shakespeare program.

Media

All media inquiries can be directed to Ellie Philips at 440.775.8171 or ephilips@oberlin.edu