WHAT PRODUCTION, FRIENDS, IS THIS?
After a ship wreck, Viola and her twin, Sebastian, land on different shores, each fearing the other has perished (consider them separated at surf). And by the time they are reunited, love, pranks and much romantic confusion will have played out in Shakespeare’s fleet comedy about passions, mistaken identities and unrequited hankerings. The muddle of the tale begins in earnest when Viola assumes a masculine disguise as young Cesario and lands in the employ of Orsino, the duke of Illyria, who is smitten with Olivia. Alas, the Illyrian countess does not return his affections but instead appears wed to mourning her dead brother. When Orsino sends Cesario to plead his passion, Olivia is roused. Only there’s a hitch: The lady is taken with the lady posing as a lad. Meanwhile, Viola is increasingly enamored of Orsino, and, as you guessed, complications ensue.
David DeSantos & Liza Seneca
Also complicated is Armin Shimerman‘s production of Twelfth Night at Antaeus Theatre. Shimerman makes some nifty edits in the text to help clarify the story, adds a fantastic musical score, and uses some of L.A.’s finest actors, all wrapped up in a visually appealing production—but while there are certainly some bright moments, this production–like Shimerman’s The Crucible at Antaeus—has some odd directorial choices and uneven pacing which keep it from being fully realized.
Alberto Isaac & Rob Nagle
The second plotline follows people in Olivia’s household—Sir Toby (Rob Nagle, strong in comedy and delivery as always), a drunken knight and uncle of Olivia; Sir Andrew (an affable Alberto Isaac), his wealthy foolish friend who’s courting Olivia; Maria (a self-assured Kitty Swink, much better-suited in drag as the servant Fabian), a servant in love with Toby; and Malvolio, an uptight Puritan and Olivia’s steward. Maria, Andrew, and Toby decide to get revenge on Malvolio’s strictness by playing a prank on him. They drop a letter that seems to be from Olivia, saying that she loves Malvolio and that if he feels the same, he should do certain foolish things. But when he does—including the donning of ridiculous yellow stockings, Olivia thinks him mad and has him put away.
Alberto Isaac & Kitty Swink
As Malvolio, Joel Swetow is a highlight. Even as the scene where he finds the fake letter drags, Swetow captures a complex mix of self-importance, rigid morality, and a deep-seated desire for advancement, making him believable as a humorously pompous man who is easily manipulated. I got both the ridiculousness of his fantasies and the underlying vulnerability of his social climbing aspirations.
John Allee
Then there is Feste, a jester employed by Olivia. Feste is the driving force behind much of the plot, and in John Allee‘s interpretation—unforced and worldly wise—a standout. One gets the impression that he is the only one who sees through Viola’s disguise. Also serving as composer and music director, he brings a sharp wit and musicality to Feste, adding depth to the fool character. Playing at a piano, his musical work is exceptional, and his performance of Shakespeare’s songs is one of the rare instances where the music is a highlight rather than a distraction.
David DeSantos & Veralyn Jones
Liza Seneca has always been one of my favorite L.A. actresses, and she proves yet again that she is incapable of a false note. Her Viola is genuine and genuinely lovely. Luis Kelly-Duarte‘s pirate Antonio, Isaac Ybarra‘s Sebastian, David DeSantos‘s Orsino and Veralyn Jones‘s Olivia are fine. But my issue with Jones speaks more to direction: now here’s an amazing actress, but her dour Olivia at the start never becomes the infatuated, ebullient, excited woman that has fallen in love, one whom you think would act differently than the bereaved Olivia—but Jones’s delivery largely remains, well, just good delivery. And along with most of the cast, many lines seemed devoid of meaning, leaving me to wonder if the performers had truly decided upon the subtext of the language.
Joel Swetow
Shimerman tells us in the program that he chose to cast roles older than they are supposed to be, but this choice adds nothing to the interpretation. Besides that, and most egregious, is that Viola and her twin brother Sebastian look nothing alike, except in costume. Thus, a premise ripe with potential—after all, Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare’s quintessential comedies—the production falters in eliciting the crucial buy-in required from us.
Christopher Scott Murillo’s sets allow actors to freely go from one location to another, and Kate Bergh‘s delightful turn-of-the-century costumes are aesthetically rich and thoughtfully executed (that’s “turn-of-the-century” as in La Belle Époque).
John Allee
Perhaps I have been spoiled by Antaeus’s previous shows, which astounded with classical interpretation and cast size. Now, A Noise Within across town has picked up that distinction. Shimerman is a Shakespeare scholar, so it shouldn’t be surprising that he focuses on dramaturgy more than on making exciting choices. There’s plenty to admire here, but Twelfth Night too often drones, when what it needs is a different kind of greatness thrust upon it.
photos by Geoffrey Wade
Twelfth Night
Antaeus Theatre Company
Gindler Performing Arts Center, 110 East Broadway in Glendale
Fri at 8; Sat at 2 & 8; Sun at 2; Mon at 8
ends on March 17, 2025
for tickets, call 818.506.1983 or visit Antaeus
