For the last few years, Asolo Rep New Stages Tour has been bringing abbreviated Shakespeare mainly to middle and high schools. Each time the effort’s been greater, and so have its results. It will be hard to beat this year’s adaptation of Twelfth Night that takes place in a typical summer camp of today and employs the entire FSU/Asolo Conservatory students in their third, final year.
Retaining Shakespeare’s plot of ship-wrecked twin brother and sister adventuring into confused identities and romantic loves, the play concentrates on the twin Viola disguised as a boy, Cesario, for safety’s sake. She falls for a major camp counselor Orsino, who loves camp boss Olivia. When he sends Cesario to woo for him, Olivia falls for the young “man” and will later also reject suitors Sir Andrew Aguecheek and her tricked assistant Malvolio until she marries Cesario’s twin, Sebastian.
There’s a good deal of clowning, especially by a Cat-ty Ally Farzetta as Feste, who loves the chocolates she gets for telling (corny) jokes. Camp cutups include Mark Comer, always drinking and full of mischief as cook Sir Toby Belch; Josh James, as wonderfully conceited riding instructor Aguecheek, and Joe Knispel as clumsy cohort Fabian. Athletic director Kim Stephenson abets their mischief as handwriting forger Maria. They put Tom Harney, a terrific and ultimately terrified Malvolio, through tricky terror—though they’ve not very well motivated to do so, since he lacks Shakespeare’s puritanical character. If there’s a star, it’s definitely Kelly Petersen portraying Viola-Cesario with aplomb and hidden romantic urgency. Kevin Barber always conveys masculinity, never displaying the tendency of most who play Orlando as just lovesick and sometimes kind of stupid. Lisa Woods succeeds in creating a commanding, if lovelorn, Olivia, with whom to sympathize. Evan Reynolds White’s Sebastian conveys wonder at Olivia’s sudden passion for “him” and Chris Alexey Diaz as his assistant makes the most of a minor role that involves giving important plot information. And what would a camp be without a lifeguard--Jordan Sobel as Valentine? Melissa Trn’s stage design succeeds in setting a camp scene that can easily be moved and work on bare stages. It is backed by a clownish curtain between poles and contains necessary props such as a picnic table, a fire of brush wood, a tree stump. The curtain at one point opens to show the heads of Toby, Aguecheek, and Fabian observing silently--and, it turns out, hilariously! Their costumes are mod motley, contrasting with typical camp clothes for the saner characters. Music, well performed on guitar, plays a large part in modernizing this version of Twelfth Night. It should appeal to the intended main audience. So should the dance at the play’s end which, of course, is a typical Shakespearean ending to a comedy.
