In the chilly, fresh air on the dampened grass near the history buildings, a beautiful stage sat, constructed by the theater department students from nothing more than wood scraps and paint bottles. The set was designed by Kim Newman (‘15) and Erin Bola (‘15), whose hard work and creative minds made the setting memorable. The saying plastered on the top read, “All the world’s a stage…,” one of William Shakespeare’s most famous quotations, and portraits of Queen Elizabeth and other spectators lined the walls facing the audience.
After students and parents filtered in and took their seats, the performance began before the expectant group. The first half, consisting of three of the play’s four acts, played out on the stage as the sun set and the cool night breeze set in.
The play centered around a young aristocrat, Viola, who disguises herself as a young man in order to enter the service of the powerful and dashing nobleman, Orsino. A complicated love triangle emerges between Orsino, Viola, and Olivia, a countess with whom Orsino claims to be hopelessly in love. Viola falls in love with him and becomes his confidant. The shenanigans grow from there.
Viewers were in for a treat when performers like Alexis Castro (‘13), Mackenzie Sheppard (‘14), and Brandon Khong (‘13) took the stage as Viola, Feste, and Fabian; with loud, booming voices and very true-to-life portrayals of their respective characters, these three actors truly stole the show. Other memorable performances include Jake Wells (‘15) as the uptight and nervous Malvolio, Sydney Benjamin (‘14) as the stately Olivia, and Julia Nguyen (‘14) as the frantic, fastidious Maria, Olivia’s servant.
One of the most entertaining parts of the show came as an aside, in which Fabian, Sir Andrew (played by Tyler Kohanek, ‘15), and Sir Toby (played by Campbell Grihalva, ‘15) successfully convince Malvolio to drop his hard shell and become a fool like the rest of them.
One interesting feature added by this cast was the occasional appearance of the commentator, played by Anh Dinh (‘13), who kept the audience involved, summarized the rather complicated plot, and injected humor into the play.
All in all, Twelfth Night should be considered a success. Featured actors delivered marvelous performances, and the outdoor theater created a truly Elizabethan atmosphere. The play demonstrated a very high level of ability among theater students at FVHS and has given us a glimpse at the fantastic work to which students can look forward in the future.
Photographed By: Ashely Le & Tue Duong
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