Our last trip as a class together was to the Classic Stage Company to see their production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. I did not expect the front of the theater to be a coffee shop, nor did I expect the stage to be very small. Although the stage was very small, it made everything seem very tight – knit. I also found it interesting how the audience surrounded the stage on three sides as opposed to a traditional stage facing the crowd from one side. With the actors in the middle of the audience, it made it very possible for the audience to feel like they are in the play. Since the theater was small, all of the seats were generally close to the stage.
I thought the play was pretty witty, they had a lot of jokes within the storyline of the play. I found it interesting how the actors would break the fourth wall and speak to the audience and react to how the audience reacts. In one scene one of the actors said something along the lines of a hanging being better than a bad marriage and a man in the front row laughed, the same actor then laughed along and said, “hey I like you.” I think my favorite scene was when Malvolio dressed in his yellow stocking and garters and Olivia had sheer horror all over her face (all while Maria was grimacing). Although Maria and Toby’s prank was meant to be harmless, I felt so bad for Malvolio being accused of going mad – even though it was pretty hilarious.
The actors were so talented, they can act, sing, and play instruments! They have a wonderfully talented cast and it seemed like they were all close friends. I felt the chemistry of all the actors from my seat. Sometimes when actors are put together, there isn’t quite a fit. But, in this play all the actors seemed so comfortable with each other and they all seemed to love doing what they were doing. I give immense respect to these actors.
Getting to talk to co – director, Noah Brody, was a cool experience. The explanation of why the actors were dressed the way they were and the way they talked helped me put everything together. I realized they made the play more relatable to the audience. The time period was very ambiguous, putting it to the perspective of the audience and leaving it to open interpretation. I thought that was a good idea because like Brody suggested, if they stuck with one specific era they would have had to done everything in line to that time period. Whereas since there is no set time period they are open to do whatever they wish to the scenes, like adding in Olivia’s gunshot. I also didn’t realize how important positioning was to the directors. Since the audience was on three sides of the stage, it was important that they stood at angles so everyone would get to see the actor or at least the person who the actor is speaking to. The animation of the actors made the play so much more enjoyable, like Brody said it’s boring to watch someone talk with their mouth barely moving. It’s fun to watch the scene come to life and actually occupy the space they were using. I thought the play was very well directed. Overall, I really enjoyed this last trip to the Classic Stage Company.
