Theatre!

[metallian]

Today we, along with fortinbras16 and shandril, attended a director's brunch before Milwaukee Shakespeare's production of Twelfth Night.

I really enjoyed the show...it didn't quite blow my mind the way that Richard II, Much Ado About Nothing, or Henry IV Part I did, but it was quite good nonetheless. The actors playing Malvolio, Feste, and Maria were particularly

Comments

[mrsmetallian]

My brunch choice was less yummy- I got the omelet with spinach, goat cheese, and roasted red pepper that consisted almost entirely of egg and spinach... kinda bland.

Show (and talk) was great.

[fortinbras16]

I thought the show was very entertaining, but I wasn't quite as thrilled with how they handled the ending. It really felt like they played up the sadder parts of the ending and played down the happy stuff. They really focused on things like Aguecheek's response to Toby telling him off, and Malvolio being not just angry, but broken by his treatment. And then they added in stuff like Antonio storming off, despite Sebastian's attempt to make things right, and the body language of the couples at the end sort of emphasized the "huh, I don't really know you...how's this going to work" aspect of the ending that usually gets ignored because it's a comedy. I don't know, I probably have to many preconceptions because Twelfth Night is one of my favorites, and from being in a production before, but...the end just felt kind of weird to me. Overall, though, it was excellently acted and a lot of the design choices were great.

[metallian]

It's true that the ending was a little more "down" than I would have expected.

Antonio's reaction at the end surprised me and made me a little sad...and confused. I had intended to ask about it at the talkback, but somebody else beat me to it (it was the first question asked).

I had half-expected the actor to say that he was playing Antonio as gay, and that his love for Sebastian was romantic in nature, and that he was broken-hearted that he ended up with Olivia. That interpretation would have worked, IMO.

His answer was that Antonio realized that he doesn't "belong" on Illyria (due to his history) and that he was upset that Sebastian had chosen to live on Illyria, therefore ensuring that they would never see each other again. He refused the return of his purse because it reminded him too much of Sebastian. I think my version hangs together better, though.

a lot of the design choices were greatI dug Illyria as a cool, golden age of Hollywood tropical resort. I totally wanted to be Orsino, chilling out on my island wearing