Possum Point Players' New Faces of Shakespeare to Present TWELFTH NIGHT OR WHAT YOU WILL, 10/17-19

It's confusion times two when Shakespeare writes twins into the mix as Possum Point Players' New Faces of Shakespeare present "Twelfth Night or What You Will" Friday, Oct. 17, 7:30 pm, Saturday, Oct. 18, 2 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sunday, Oct. 19, 2 pm.

New Faces of Shakespeare, a Possums affiliate, are staging their version of Shakespeare's comedy on Coney Island, N Y, at the turn of the 20th Century. No doubt many people will find that setting creates as romantic an atmosphere as the original Illya chosen by the Bard. With a plot that features fraternal twins, one of each sex, gender confusion due to costuming, a mendacious love communication, and a politician's penchant for the forbidden fruit of a grieving widow, the audience will be hard-put not to laugh, whether or not they know what's going on.

Directed by Michael Murnin, "Twelfth Night" drew actors from several communities in central and southern Delaware. The large contingent from Lewes includes Tara Wisely (Olivia), Stephanie Allman (Maria), Thomas Scott Roberts (Tilyou), Malcolm Keen (Malvolio), Delaney Cinnamon (Feste), Julia Bloom (Valentine) and Maureen Downing (Priest).

Completing the cast are Sharon George (Viola), Bridgeville; Chuck Rafferty (Sir Toby), Felton; Richard Huffman (Sir Andrew), Prime Hook; Marsha Shull (Fabian), Frankford; Cat Timko (Sebastian), Georgetown; Mark Ladd (Antonio), Dover; and Hilary Mitchell (Curio), Dagsboro.

In "Twelfth Night," twins, Viola and Sebastian, are separated when their ship wrecks on Coney Island and Viola fears her brother is feeding the fishes. As people are wont to do in Shakespeare, she takes on men's attire and assumes a masculine persona as Cesario. As a lackey for Tilyou, the local mayor, Viola/Cesario tries to plead the mayor's case to the gracefully grieving and chaste Olivia. Somehow, the cross-dressed Cesario unwittingly woos the widow who emerges from the cloud of sorrow brought on by the deaths of her father and her brother.

When the tables turn and Olivia sets about actively pursuing Viola/Cesario, the very much alive twin Sebastian shows up and is immediately taken to be Cesario. Ignoring the inexplicable disparate height issue between the twins, Olivia manages to wed the object of her affection, now really Sebastian, leaving Viola/Cesario to dress more appropriately for a politician's wife and take up with Tilyou.

In the meantime, while all the twin gender escapades are going on, Olivia's relatives and household staff stage their own shenanigans. Malvolio, the uppity major domo of the house staff is an easy target. With most of the household hangers-on conspiring, he ends up duped, and dopey in appearance and actions due to a love letter that wouldn't fool a four-year-old. Even in the midst of conspiracy, more romance flowers as Olivia's saucy maid draws the affection of her lady's uncle. More courting, more marriages and they all enjoy cakes and ale and maybe a Nathan's in Victorian Coney Island.

All tickets are $10 general admission and may be purchased on-line at www.possumpointplayers.org, by calling the Possums' ticket line, 302-856-4560, or at the door.

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