Hart House Theatre Opens TWELFTH NIGHT Today

Opening todya, November 6, Hart House Theatre continues its tradition of producing affordable Shakespearean productions for downtown Toronto with the classic comedy, Twelfth Night.

Directed by Hart House Theatre alumnus Matthew Gorman and featuring the city's finest emerging talent, Twelfth Night is a prime example of what Hart House Theatre does best. It features professionals paired with trained youth and students in a production that is both compelling and unique.

Shakespeare's beloved comedy begins with a shipwreck and ends with marriages, reunions and some good old-fashioned revenge-with plenty of hijinks and hilarity in between. Featuring some of the Bard's most memorable comedic characters, Twelfth Night is classic comedy at its best, full of mistaken identity, disguise, intrigue and, above all, the search for love.

Matthew Gorman takes the action of the play and puts it all in the cozy confines of a local pub - a familiar backdrop for the sad, the hilarious, the loving and the cruel sides of human nature to express themselves. "Welcome to The Elephant, our little pub. A village meeting place in no particular country, in no particular time; our Illyria is its own place, borrowing from everywhere. It is a place of music, sadness, love and possibility." (from Matthew Gorman's Director's Notes)

Creating the world of Mr. Gorman's Twelfth Night is design team Jenna McCutchen and Raha Javanfar. Jenna is an award-winning graduate of The National Theatre School and brings a wealth of experience and passion to her work. Raha is a graduate of Ryerson University's Theatre Production Bachelor of Fine Arts Program, and the recipient of the Siminovitch Protégé Prize - generously handed to her by the winner of the prize itself, and her long-time mentor, Rob Thomson.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare will be directed by Matthew Gorman, with set and costume design by Jenna McCutchen, lighting design by Raha Javanfar and dramaturgy by Susan Bond.

FEATURING:

Darcy Gerhart stars as the protagonist, Viola, who dons a disguise to negotiate her way through a strange, new land. Darcy joins the Hart House Theatre company after completing her training with The National Theatre School and the Pia Bouman School. An actor, dancer, singer and choreographer, Darcy is at the starting line of what is sure to be a long and fruitful career in the performing arts.

In the role of the love-sick Duke Orsino, is Liam Volke. Liam returns to Hart House Theatre after playing Max in last season's production of Bent. Alongside his acting work, Liam is a fiction writer and contributes to the online publication, Toronto Film Scene.

Playing the ever mournful Olivia is Hart House Theatre veteran,Arlin Dixon. Arlin began her career by training at George Brown Theatre School and has since become an artist of all trades! Arlin not only performs, she is also a playwright, a composer of short stories and a creator of greeting cards for her self-started business,Bjorn the Cat Cards.

A veteran of Hart House Theatre, David Tripp has appeared in productions of Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and, most recently,Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. David is eager to take on Sir Toby Belch which is a role against his usual type, but one that is full of all the fun and mischief that David naturally brings to the stage.

Taking on the role of Toby's willing accomplice, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, is University of Windsor graduate, Christopher Manousos. Christopher appears at Hart House Theatre after taking a turn on The Stratford Festival Stage in Henry V.

Completing the 'trickster-trio' is the fool Feste, played by Hart House Theatre newcomer Alexander Offord. Alexander joins the cast after a successful run of a Fringe! show, The Hystericon. Written and directed by Alexander, the show was applauded by critics and audiences alike and we look forward to seeing Alexander's multiple talents on our stage.

The show runs Nov. 6 - 23, 2013:

Week 1: Wed. - Sat., 8 pm
Week 2: Wed. - Sat., 8 pm
Week 3: Wed. - Sat., 8 pm & Sat., 2 pm

Post-Show Chats: Sat., Nov. 7 & Sat., Nov. 9

Pre-Show Chat: Sat., Nov. 23, 1 pm.

Single Ticket Prices: Adults: $28; Seniors: $17; Students: $15; $10 student tickets every Wednesday night; $17 alumni tickets every Thursday night. UofTtix Box Office - call 416.978.8849 or visit www.uofttix.ca.

Established in 1919, Hart House Theatre is the University of Toronto's Performing Arts Leader. Since its inception, the theatre's unique mix of young professionals, alumni, and students has garnered the theatre a reputation as a cultural destination for not only the community of U of T but also the city of Toronto.