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Austin360 blogs > Austin Arts: Seeing Things > Archives > 2008 > August > 11 > Entry
Review: ‘Twelfth Night’
“Twelfth Night” at the Scottish Rite Theatre is solid, straight Shakespeare. Men are men; women are men; and everyone falls in love and wears pale makeup. The production is period through and through, from the doublets and hose to the jig at the end.
With the focus on Shakespeare as it was mostly originally practiced, the play can either sparkle with his words or turn into a workaday history lesson. This “Twelfth Night” does a little of both.
As Viola disguises herself as Duke Orsino’s servant boy to win his love by wooing his beloved Olivia, the emotion is there, but can feel understated. Likewise, as Olivia’s house is beset by fools, foreigners and puritanical stewards, that’s exactly what you get. Everything is performed well and comically—especially in Judd Farris’ naïve Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Robert Matney’s bipolar Malvolio—but too often just at face value.
The final act, though, absolutely pops. Nathan Jerkins’ Orsino speaks in starts and rushes as he accuses Viola of stealing his Olivia and, in turn, threatens to kill her. Suzanne Balling’s Olivia leaps in to defend Shannon Grounds’ Viola, who is just as quick to sacrifice herself to her love. It’s intense, emotional and wonderful.
There’s no ulterior motive or interpretation, and none is needed. With a performance like that — and one that will hopefully fill the rest of the play — Shakespeare still sparkles.
(“Twelfth Night” continues at 8 p.m. Friday-Saturdays and 5 p.m. Sundays through Aug. 30 at the Scottish Rite Theatre, 207 W. 18th St. $15. 472-5436, scottishritetheatre.org)
Joey Seiler is an American-Statesman freelance theater critic.
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