TWELFTH NIGHT by Shakespeare and THE DUCHESS OF MALFI by John Webster, American Shakespeare Center 'Tempt Me Further' Tour, University of Texas, February 12 and 13, 2013

and its 'Tempt Me Further' touring troupe peform,
presented at the University of Texas, Hogg Memorial Auditorium, near 24th and Guadalupe (click for map)  by the University of Texas at Austin’s English Department, Shakespeare at Winedale, SHOUT, the Mary Lu Joynes Endowment in the Plan II Honors Program, the Center for European Studies, the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, and the Department of Theatre and Dance,

Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare

Tuesday, February 12, 2013, pre-show at 7 p.m. (There will be a post-show discussion with members of the company immediately after Twelfth Night.)

Why, this is very midsummer madness. - III.iv

Writing at the height of his powers, Shakespeare provides a feast of language and songs — and a stage full of memorable characters — from the lovesick Orsino and Viola to the alesick Toby Belch, from the acquiescent Sir Andrew Aguecheek to the pompous Malvolio. Sublime and subversive, Twelfth Night breaks rules and bends gender to show love in all its guises and disguises.


and


The Duchess of Malfi

by John Webster

Wednesday, February 13, 2013, pre-show at 7 p.m.

We are merely the stars' tennis balls, struck and bandied which way please them. - V.iv


John Webster’s brutal and astonishing play tells the story of one of the stage’s greatest women and two of its greatest villains. The widowed Duchess of Malfi tragically defies her two powerful brothers by secretly marrying her household steward. When they uncover her deception, the brothers plot a series of horrific events that leads them all to destruction in this dark tapestry of sibling rivalry, forbidden love, unquenchable ambition, and ensuing madness.

On each evening the theatre will open for seating at 7:00 pm. At this time, live pre-show music will also begin. The performance will begin at 7:30 pm. Seats for the performances are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so audience members are encouraged to arrive early, take their seats, and enjoy the music.


- - - - - - - - - -

The American Shakespeare Center will return to Austin for its fourth annual visit to the University of Texas campus. Direct from the stage of the American Shakespeare Center's celebrated Blackfriars Playhouse, the world's only re-creation of Shakespeare's indoor theatre, the ASC touring troupe brings Renaissance drama to life in exciting and accessible performances. On February 12 and 13, at 7:00 pm in Hogg Auditorium, the ASC's touring troupe will perform Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi.


Special Lecture, February 7. Kicking off the ASC residency, the Mary Lu Joynes Endowment in the Plan II Honors Program, the English Department and Shakespeare at Winedale will be presenting a special lecture on The Duchess of Malfi. The Duchess of Malfi is considered by many to be the greatest Renaissance tragedy not written by Shakespeare. For those interested in learning more about the play, English Professor Frank Whigham will be giving a free lecture in the Joynes Reading Room in the Honors quad on UT campus on Thursday, February 7 at 7:00 pm.


Professor Whigham is one of the world's experts on the play. His article "Sexual and Social Mobility in The Duchess of Malfi," originally published in PMLA and reprinted multiple times, is one of the most important works of recent criticism on the play, which is also discussed in his book, Seizures of the Will in Early Modern English Drama (Cambridge University Press, 1996). He will introduce some of the play's key ideas and answer questions from the audience.


The American Shakespeare Center\ (formerly the Shenandoah Shakespeare Express) has gained a national reputation by performing according to the principles of the Renaissance stage. Careful attention to the language, a fast and fluid performance style, and a creative use of music and dance are hallmarks of ASC productions. Actors and audience share the same lighting, as they would have in Shakespeare’s playhouse, encouraging an intimate and festive atmosphere.

Click  to view additional images from the 'Tempt Me Further' Tour at AustnLiveTheatre.com. . .

Upcoming: Twelfth Night by Shakespeare via Bollywood, Austin Shakespeare in Zilker Park, May 3 - 27

presents

Twelfth Night, or What You Will

by William Shakespeare

via Bollywood

directed by Ann Ciccolella

at the Hillside Theatre, Zilker Park

May 3 - 27 at dusk

Featuring new music by Austin singer/songwriter Naga Valli, Austin Shakespeare welcomes young and old to a Bollywood-inspired production of one of Shakespeare’s most popular romantic comedies: Twelfth Night; or What You Will! Now in its 28th season of offering free Shakespeare in Zilker Park, Austin Shakespeare stages the story of Viola, a young girl disguised as the boy servant Caesario in the fantastic world of Illyia who falls head over heels in love with her master, Duke Orsino, as he sends her to Olivia woo for him, the woman he loves. The story is also well-known for the silliest of meanies, Malvolio, who is tricked into wearing a distinctively unusual outfit to also woo his mistress Olivia.

The show features dance moves by acclaimed Austin choreographer, Prakash Mohandas. Two guest artists from Washington DC top the cast with Mary Candler as Viola and Rafael Untalan as Orsino. Both are recent Master of Fine Arts graduates of the renowned Academy of Classical Acting from The Shakespeare Theater, Washington DC.

"Bollywood is now a beloved part of our culture. Young people are especially delighted by its music and dance," commented Artistic Director Ann Ciccolella. Twelfth Night was also titled by Shakespeare What You Will and we embrace that sense of delight and mayhem in our Bollywood costumes and sets!"

Cast
Orsino, Duke of Illyria Rafael Untalan*
Sebastian, twin to Viola Johann-Robert Wood
Antonio, a sea captain Aaron D. Alexander
Valentine, gentleman

attending on the Duke Johann-Robert Wood
Curio, gentleman

attending on the Duke David J. Boss
Sir Toby Belch,

uncle to Olivia Rick Roemer *
Sir Andrew Aguecheek,

a foolish knight Philip Kreyche
Malvolio,

steward to Olivia Michael Dalmon
Fabian,

servant to Olivia David J. Boss
Feste, a clown Sam Mercer
Olivia, a rich countess Jennifer Gravenstein
Viola, twin sister

to Sebastian Mary Candler*
Maria, Olivia's gentlewoman Jill Swanson
Singer Sangeetha Ekambaram

* member, Actors' Equity

Creative Team
Costumes Jonathan Heibert
Sets Ia Enstera
Lights Jason Amato
Music Naga Valli
Choreography Prakash Mohandas

Video and Images: Twelfth Night, Trinity University, November 11 - 19

Notified on-line of video and images by Kauveh Khozein Carrera:

Trinity University Theatre, San Antonio

presents

Twelfth Night

A comedy by William Shakespeare

directed by Susanna Morrow

November 11 - 13 and 16 - 19

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm; Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 pm
Tickets:Adults $10.00; Seniors/Faculty/Alumni $8.00; Students/SATCO $6.00

The Stieren Theater, Trinity University Campus, One Trinity Place (click for campus map)

[Apple users: can't see the video? Click to go to YouTube.com]

"If music be the food of love, play on," and so begins this classic comedy about love and its excesses. When shipwrecked Viola disguises herself as a young boy to serve the Duke Orsino on the foreign soil of Illyria, the twisted plot unfurls. Love triangles are made, letters forged, identities mistaken, duels fought and marriages sealed. With a masterful blend of hilarity and heartache, Shakespeare portrays how love makes fools of us all.

Click to view cast photos by Kauveh Khozein Carrera at AustinLiveTheatre.com. . . .

Additional Auditions for Austin Shakespeare' Arcadia and Twelfth Night, November 9

Received directly:

Another Opportunity to Audition:

Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

Wednesday, November 9 from 7:30 p.m.
Austin Creative Alliance Studio, 701 Tillery St. (click for map)

Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, Performances: Feb. 2-19, 2012:to be performed at the Long Center, Rollins’ Theatre

4 women/8 men, all with English dialect - Rehearsals begin Tues. Jan. 3
See below for plot and cast breakdown.

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
Performances: May 3 - 27 in Zilker Park Hillside Theater - Rehearsals begin April 3
See below for plot and cast breakdown.

Auditioners are asked to prepare a 1- 2 min speech from any classic or Shakespeare play, including Twelfth Night, Arcadia or any Stoppard play. The piece may be memorized or read, but actors should be thoroughly familiar with the text. All roles are open. Including Actors Equity contracts under SPT 1.

To schedule an appointment time, contact auditions@austinshakespeare.org.

NOTE: Austin Shakespeare warmly encourages actors of all ethnic/racial backgrounds to audition. Twelfth Night will be done in a "Bollywood" style meaning the songs already in the play will be danced and sung reminiscent of contemporary Indian movies. Trained actors with an Indian background, who also have ability as dancers and singers are encouraged to audition. Casting will be open and "color-blind."

Actors are encouraged to read scripts before auditioning. Arcadia is available for check out at the Austin Creative Alliance, 701 Tillery St. Suite A-8, 78702. To check out a script please bring a $10 deposit (exact change or a check only). You may check out Arcadia for 24 hours. Twelfth Night is available at http://shakespeare.mit.edu.

Click to go to AustinLiveTheatre.com for descriptions of the works and cast breakdowns

Auditions for Austin Shakespeare: Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and a Bollywood Twelfth Night, October 29

Found posted at

Auditions: Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

Sat. Oct. 29, 2010 1 pm- 4 pm
Austin Creative Alliance Studio, 701 Tillery St. (click for map)

THE SHOWS:

Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia
Performances: Feb. 2-19, 2012:
4 women/8 men, all with English dialect
To be performed at the Long Center, Rollins’ Theatre
Rehearsals begin Tues. Jan. 3
See below for plot and cast breakdown.

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night
Performances: May 3 - 27
To be performed in Zilker Park Hillside Theater
Rehearsals begin April 3
See below for plot and cast breakdown.

Auditioners are asked to prepare a 1- 2 min speech from any classic or Shakespeare play, including Twelfth Night, Arcadia or any Stoppard play. The piece may be memorized or read, but actors should be thoroughly familiar with the text. All roles are open. Including Actors Equity contracts under SPT 1.

To schedule an appointment time, contact auditions@austinshakespeare.org.

NOTE: Austin Shakespeare warmly encourages actors of all ethnic/racial backgrounds to audition. Twelfth Night will be done in a "Bollywood" style meaning the songs already in the play will be danced and sung reminiscent of contemporary Indian movies. Trained actors with an Indian background, who also have ability as dancers and singers are encouraged to audition. Casting will be open and "color-blind."

Actors are encouraged to read scripts before auditioning. Arcadia is available for check out at the Austin Creative Alliance, 701 Tillery St. Suite A-8, 78702. To check out a script please bring a $10 deposit (exact change or a check only). You may check out Arcadia for 24 hours. Twelfth Night is available at http://shakespeare.mit.edu.

Click 'Read more' for descriptions of the works and cast breakdown at AustinLiveTheatre.com

---

Upcoming: Twelfth Night, Trinity University, November 11 - 19

Found on-line:

Trinity University Theatre

presents

Twelfth Night

A comedy by William Shakespeare

directed by Susanna Morrow

November 11 - 13 and 16 - 19

Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm; Sundays at 2:30 pm; Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 pm
Tickets:Adults $10.00; Seniors/Faculty/Alumni $8.00; Students/SATCO $6.00

The Stieren Theater, Trinity University Campus, One Trinity Place (click for campus map)

"If music be the food of love, play on," and so begins this classic comedy about love and its excesses. When shipwrecked Viola disguises herself as a young boy to serve the Duke Orsino on the foreign soil of Illyria, the twisted plot unfurls. Love triangles are made, letters forged, identities mistaken, duels fought and marriages sealed. With a masterful blend of hilarity and heartache, Shakespeare portrays how love makes fools of us all.

Upcoming: Twelfth Night, EmilyAnn Theatre, Wimberley, July 25 - August 6

Found on-line:

presents

Shakespeare Under the Stars

Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare

directed by Bridget Farias

Nightly at 8:15 p.m. from July 25 to August 6 except for Sunday, July 31

Twins separated in a shipwreck, unrequited and unexpected love, mischevious plotting, cross gartered hilarity, pirate swashbuckling, unmatchable wit, all set in a VICTORIAN STEAMPUNK Illyria!! Come join the EmilyAnn Theatre as Shakespeare Under the Stars students once again create and produce one of William Shakespeare's masterpieces on our beautiful outdoor amphitheatre stage, July 25-August 6 (performances nightly at 8:15pm, no Sunday performance).

Click here to purchase tickets!

Video Retro: Twelfth Night, The Baron's Men at the Curtain Theatre, May, 2011

Trailer by Chris Eckert for his DVD version of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, done by the Baron's Men at the Curtain Theatre, Austin, May 6 - 28, 2011:

The Baron's Men - 12th Night Trailer from Chris Eckert on Vimeo.

[APPLE users: can't see the video? Click to go to VIMEO.]

Upcoming: Twelfth Night, Magick Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park, June 1 - 4

Found on-line:

Twelfth Night

Magik Theatre's Shakespeare in the Park, San Antonio
June 1-4, 2011

Produced by The Magik Theatre, Shakespeare in the Park is a FREE annual event that brings full-scale productions of Shakespeare's work to the entire community. Shakespeare in the Park brings San Antonians of all ages together in the balmy summer twilight to experience the joys, sorrows, trials, and triumphs of Shakespeare's characters and stories. Since 2005, Shakespeare in the Park has played to over 45,000 people, with vibrant, exciting productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tempest, As You Like It and Romeo and Juliet. The festival has also provided employment for more than 50 local artists and technicians.

Location: San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston

Times: Gates open at 6:30PM and the performance begins at 8PM.

Tickets: Admission is free and lawn chairs and blankets are recommended for outdoor seating. No outside food or drinks will be allowed inside the gates. Food and drinks will be available for sale.

Contact: For more information call The Magik Theatre at 210.227.2751 or visit www.magiktheatre.org/events orwww.sabot.org

Upcoming: Twelfth Night, Baron's Men at the Curtain Theatre, May 6 - 22

Received directly:

present

Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare

Fridays & Saturdays, May 6 – May 28, 8 p.m.

The Curtain Theater

7400 Coldwater Canyon (click for map)

Coming off of their triumphant production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” last fall, The Baron’s Men are back with Shakespeare’s timeless comedy of mistaken identity, unrequited love and drunken buffoonery. Directed by Samantha Smith, this latest offering by The Baron’s Men features long time Baron’s Men players Casey Weed and Katrina O’Keefe and Austin theater mainstay Bridget Farias as the love triangle of Duke Orsino, Viola/Cesario and Countess Olivia. Rounding out the cast are Baron’s Men veterans Kevin Gates, Aaron Niemuth, Brian Martin and Liegh Hegedus and new Baron’s Men players J Nathan Day and Lindsay Palinsky.

This production, featuring live Elizabethan music, from Music Director Cherie Weed and authentic costumes from Costume Designer Pam Martin, presented in Austin’s only Elizabethan replica theater promises to deliver an evening of Shakespeare as only The Baron’s Men can deliver.

Click to read more and view links at AustinLiveTheatre.com . . .

Twelfth Night, Scottish Rite Theatre

Twelfth Night, just opened at the convenient downtown location close to the Bob Bullock Texas History Museum, is a graceful, sprightly production of Shakespeare's comedy of parted twins, mistaken identities, and the merciless mocking of overweening ambition. This is the one in which the dour Malvolio, steward to Lady Olivia, is duped by two roysters into smiling, making love overtures to his lady, and appearing in yellow stockings, all cross gartered. And Viola, shipwrecked, masquerades as a boy in order to enter the service of Duke Orsino -- and falls in love with same.

Shannon Grounds as Olivia/"Cesario" (left) carries the action deftly. She undertakes her masquerade in a spirit of adventure but encounters earnest confusion as she falls for Orsino but Lady Olivia (Suzanne Balling, right) falls for her as "Cesario." Balling is diminutive, lively and a delight -- her growing fascination of Orsino's comely messenger "Cesario" moves her out of long mourning into hope and demure flirting.



This being a romantic comedy, Shakespeare gives her the ultimate chance for joy: the eventual just-in-time appearance of the male twin to "Cesario," the eligible bachelor Sebastian (Ryan Crowder). The sparkle in Olivia's eyes here is a hint of the sly delights of her performance. Outcome: Orsino and Olivia each wed a twin. The one of the opposite sex, of course.

Director (yclept "Master of Play" in the program) Beth Burns has just relocated to Austin from Los Angeles. She achieves with this talented and attractive ensemble a quick-paced, highly entertaining and almost too short evening of entertainment.

The evening takes as guidance the opening words of Orsino, If music be the food of love, play on. A four-member musical consort welcomes the public into the lobby with renaissance and pseudo-renaissance music. The group accompanies song and dance during the play and provides the jubilation for a curtain call done in dance.

The Scottish Rite theatre itself seemed to me a relatively strange performance space. On the one hand, the company had the use of beautifully painted backdrops and legs that created wonderfully detailed scenes. I am guessing that these were created over a long period for use by the Scottish Rite Children’s theatre. The multiple levels and the detailed tromp l’oeuil painting offer us enchanting perspectives within the proscenium. They recall the intricate mysteries of Victorian-era puppet shows. For example, before the action began:

The beach after the shipwreck:




The forest, as Maria the servant regales Toby Belch and Andrew Aguecheek:



and the Duke's chambers:


A wide flight of wooden steps connects that magic proscenium-framed world with the auditorium. The movable seating in the forefront of the 200-seat theatre was arranged so as to provide a wide, deep open space in the midst of the seating. This was the equivalent of a “thrust” stage – but it meant that those of us seated in front row, center, found ourselves at least thirty feet from the stage. The views above are all taken from front row, center.

I prefer to sit as close to the acting as possible. Can’t help it; it’s the addiction of an actor. In Shakespeare’s day, if I’d had the means, I probably would have been one of those lace-handkerchief would-be dandies leaning back on a chair at the edge of the stage itself. So I was disappointed to find that only rarely did director Beth Burns put the action out into that big empty space fronted and flanked by the audience. The most typical use of that thrust space was that signaled in the text by Exit (singular) or Exeunt (plural). Given the disposition of the seats, the actors always had to hustle – added to thirty feet of thrust was another thirty feet of aisle.

Twelfth Night offers a richness of fools. The official fool, Feste, is the least foolish of them. As personified by Justin Scalise, Feste is a sober, witty wraith with a fine singing voice. Far more farcical are Michael Mergin (right) playing rapscallion knight Sir Toby Belch and Judd Farris (left) as the earnest, stupid suitor Andrew Aguecheek (a fine study in slowly firing synapses).

And then there is Malvolio, the self-important steward who is so cruelly misled by Maria the serving woman (bravo to Jill K. Swanson for her twinkling mischief). She counterfeits the letter to Malvolio that prompts him to put on ridiculous attire, paint his face, and put on a smile almost painful to observe. The baiting and humiliation of Malvolio is the dark side of this comedy. It occurs relatively late in the action; the castle force and jester Feste imprison Malvolio and mock him further; and at the happy resolution of everyone else’s quandaries, the lovely Olivia perceives and explains the cruel trick. Shakespeare gives Malvolio a horrible exit line: “I will be revenged on the whole pack of you.”

So how does a company play that dark vein in this otherwise frothy, colorful confection? In Shakespeare’s day, Malvolio was probably a haughty, hissing horrible guy. After all, “mal voglio” in Italian is, roughly, “ill will.”

In this presentation, director Burns and actor Robert Matney are very delicate with Malvolio. He comes across as thoughtful and gently deluded, that sort of nice guy who is just, well, clueless. When he has no streak of mean, how do you handle his defeat? In this presentation, he kneels to Lady Olivia and tenders in resignation the chain that is his emblem of office. And you choreograph your curtain call as a sort of Morris dance, with Malvolio taking part, as if he didn’t really mean it with that final imprecation. This doesn’t really resolve the problem, but it does remind us that the evening is all in fun.

Elizabeth Cobbe's review in the Austin Chronicle, August 15

Spike Gillespie's review in the Austinist.com, August 14

Joey Seiler's comment (far short of a review) in the Austin Statesman, August 11

NOTE: Thanks and a tip of the hat to Gordon Kelso, Executive Director at the Scottish Rite Theatre, who kindly provided further information about the theatre and its scenery:

"The scenery you enjoyed throughout the production was painted in 1882...and installed in our space in 1910... Our old theatre was built in 1869 (3 years after Scholz's Garten) by the German community as the Turn Verein...a German opera house and activity center [locally referred to in those days as Turner Hall]...naturally, there was beer served...lots of it, because the entire block qualified as the beer garten. The Sangerunde Singers were formed there and, believing they needed their own space for rehearsal and entertainment, they moved down the hill to Scholz's, purchased the adjacent property and built their space along with a bowling alley (the lintel still reads 1879)...it, too, is still in use!...a tribute to Austin's early German influence."