Shakespeare Plays at Heritage Park
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Montana Shakespeare in the Parks cast presented Shakespeare’s "Twelfth Night" to a crowd of about 100 people last Saturday at Heritage Park. This is the company’s 50th summer season producing plays for Montana cities and small towns, such as Townsend, as well as towns in Wyoming and Idaho. Eleven actors tour during the summer season through a rigorous 15-week schedule.
Shakespeare's Viola, and her twin brother Sebastian, have been shipwrecked. Each believes the other to be drowned. Viola disguises herself as a young man, and, under the name of Cesario, gets a job as a servant for the Duke, Orsino. Orsino is in love with Olivia, but she's mourning her dead brother, so has rejected all his advances so far. He sends Cesario (who is really Viola) to woo Olivia with love letters on his behalf. Unfortunately for the Duke, Olivia is taken in by Cesario’s disguise and falls in love with him - but Viola has secretly fallen in love with Orsino.
In a lesson to the audience about overbearing attitudes, Olivia’s butler, Malvolio, disapproves of all the other members of her household – her drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch, his friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek and her servants, Maria, Feste and Fabia. Fed up with Malvolio constantly spoiling their fun, they decide to play a practical joke on him. Because Malvolio is secretly in love with Olivia, the others trick him into believing that these feelings are returned. The joke causes Malvolio's behavior to become so outrageous that Olivia believes him mad and has him locked up.
Viola's brother, Sebastian, who believes his sister is dead, arrives with his friend and protector, Antonio, who rescued him from the shipwreck. Sebastian meets Olivia. She mistakes him for Cesario and asks him to marry her. He agrees. Lots of confusion follows around the mistaken identity of Sebastian and Cesario, and exactly who is promised to whom. Eventually, all is revealed; the brother and sister are reunited and the love triangle is resolved into two couples, Sebastian and Olivia, and Viola and Orsino. Finally, Viola discovers the trick that has been played on Malvolio, and he is released from confinement.
Costuming for the play was outstanding. The play was set in flavorful New Orleans style and the ballads were sung beautifully with a Dixieland twist.
The play was sponsored by Townsend Area Chamber of Commerce, Broadwater County Development Corporation, Missouri Valley Marketing and Broadwater Community Theater. Montana Shakespeare in the Parks will perform King Lear in White Sulphur Springs on August 30.
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