Weston Theater Company concludes its 89th anniversary season with “The Twelfth Night Show,” a brand new musical very loosely based upon Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.” Somehow, it captured the gist of Shakespeare’s plot with laughter, unexpected poignancy and not one “forsooth.” Last Friday’s preview performance by four talented actor-musicians delighted an audience eager to set cares aside for awhile for a convoluted tale of theater, perseverance and love. It was all very silly fun.
The conceit of the show is that almost the entire cast of a planned production of a version of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” set in outer space have contracted food poisoning. Faced with canceling and sinking the fledgling theater company financially, the one remaining cast member and three backing musicians decide that the show will go on anyway and that they will fill in the blanks as best they can. Repeatedly breaking the “fourth wall” to address the audience directly, that is just what the four intrepid souls do.
Co-creator and Music Director Jacob Brandt played Jacob, who at various times assumed the roles of the steward Malvolio, drunkard Sir Toby Belch and his cohort Andrew Aguecheek. All the while, Jacob’s enthusiasm for the Bard and constant reminders of a theatrical education made him more and more unbearable to the others onstage. Brandt played the part of a harmless boor well.
Eileen Doan portrayed Eileen, who, in the play within the play, portrayed Viola, the shipwrecked twin who disguises herself as the man servant to Count Orsino, and secretly pines for his love. It was a delicate balancing act and Doan pulled it off.
Allie Seibold was Allie, who along with playing the stand-up bass and displaying a sweet soprano singing voice, portrayed the Countess Olivia, who constantly rebuffs the romantic entreaties of Orsino, preferring the company of Orsino’s man servant, the disguised Viola. Seibold wore her character’s petulance well.
Seth Eliser played Seth, (sense a pattern here?), who assumed the roles of Orsino and also Viola’s twin, Sebastion, thought dead by Viola. It particularly was in the later interaction between Seth and Allie, and their realization that they really had room to love one another, that “The Twelfth Night Show” really found its traction. The silliness gave way to real unadorned feelings, demonstrated.
Scenic Designer Daniel Prosky chose to plop the characters on a barren red planet with a myriad of stars above, freeing the actors to ply their trade without constraints.
The lively original music, which for the most part recapped all of the goings-on, was adroitly played by all four of the actor-musicians. Quoting from the opening number, which, in turn, quoted a famous line in Shakespeare’s original work: “If music be the food of love, play on!”
Performances of “The Twelfth Night Show ” continue at Walker Farm off Route 100 in Weston, through Oct. 12. Ticket reservations may be made on-line at westontheater.org or by calling the box office at 802-824-5288.
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