Four Clowns Presents: WELCOME TO ILLIRIYA! An Absurd & Zany Version Of Twelfth Night!

Los Angeles' favorite clown troupe Four Clowns, teams up with the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles for an all-new Holiday take on one of the Bard's most popular works "Twelfth Night or What You Will". Four Clowns presents "Welcome to Illyria! or An Exceedingly Silly Retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night" Start your holiday off right, with laughs, giggles and general merriment! "Welcome to Illyria!" will run for twelve performances only, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays from November 30 - December 16, 2018, Friday, Saturday & Sunday have an 8:00 pm show as well as a Sunday 2:00 pm show. This is not the first time Four Clowns has worked with Shakespeare's text. In 2015, Four Clowns took on Hamlet to receive rave reviews. In 2011 the company produced an award-winning version of Romeo & Juliet, and in 2014 they teamed up with California State University Long Beach to present a version of Ubu Roi called Ubu The Sh*t, a French play based on Shakespeare's Macbeth.

In the realm of firsts, however, Four Clowns has been expanding its ensemble of extremely talented actors over the past two years and this will be the first time several of the company's new members will be featured. This cast of nine will be working with long-time company member and director Joe DeSoto and the new Artistic Director of Four Clowns. Mr. DeSoto has worked with clown troupes all over the U.S. including the final tour of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Mr. DeSoto says, "I've wanted to do this show for 6 years. Twelfth Night has always been my favorite Shakespearean comedy. Unfortunately, I didn't know as many talented physical comedians back then as I do now. "Welcome to Illyria!" is everything I want to create as a theatre artist. It's light-hearted, fun, outrageous, engaging, exciting... As simple as it may sound, I really just want our audiences to have a blast and to leave the theatre feeling energized. And maybe also a tad exhausted (from laughing)."

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them." At Holiday time? With clowns?! Join the award-winning company, Four Clowns, as they usher in the holiday magic with a laugh-a-minute show of love, cross-dressing, and general buffoonery as this raucous chorus of characters explores the silliness of love. Set during the holidays, this highly physical production slips and slides through the pages of Shakespeare, as the clowns hash out the meaning of "If music be the food of love, play on." This is Shakespeare as you've never seen before. It's a classic love story! Girl meets boy. Boy disguises girl as boy. Boy meets man. Man loves woman. But woman loves boy. And boy loves man. And, well... it'll all make sense in the show!

The show stars Julia Davis as VIOLA; Asa Walker as SEBASTIAN; Paul Stanko as ORSINO; Meg Cashel as FESTE; Christian Drerup as OLIVIA; Murphy Martin as MALVOLIO; Elizabeth Godley as MARIA; Joel Axelrod as ANDREW; Isaac Kessler as TOBY. With Assistant Director & Stage Manager: Harim Sanchez; Set & Props Designer: Natalie Morales; Costume Designer: Erin Colleran; Lighting Designer: Mcleod Benson; Sound Designer: Aaron Lyons; Wrestling Consultant: Chad Damiani; Movement Consultant: Alexandra Hulme; Graphic Designer: Sam Schweikert; Artistic Director, Producer & Director: Joe DeSoto and Producers: Julia Davis & Elizabeth Godley

ABOUT FOUR CLOWNS - Four Clowns is a Los Angeles based, nationally touring, award winning, clown troupe dedicated to entertaining audiences and experimenting with the relationship between actors and audience all whilst shining a light on humanity. Four Clowns implements aspects of physical theatre, text, music, dance, and the shattering of the fourth wall in all their productions. The company is constantly redefining the audience's relationship to the performers on stage. Four Clowns' multiple-award-winning, critically acclaimed productions have played in Sao Paolo, Brazil; New York City (La MaMa & Theatre Row, Off-Broadway); Chicago (NeoFuturists); Las Vegas; San Francisco; Minneapolis; Indianapolis; Phoenix; Kingsland, GA; Telluride, CO; and all-over Southern California, including South Coast Repertory and REDCAT. For more information on the company and upcoming shows, stay in touch with Four Clowns on social media: "Like" on Facebook; follow on Twitter @4clowns; follow on Instagram @fourclowns; or visit the website at www.fourclowns.org.

ABOUT THE SHAKESPEARE CENTER OF LOS ANGELES - Operating since 1986, the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles has been serving the city of Los Angeles through its philanthropic programming, such as the Veterans In Art initiative that employs and trains chronically unemployed veterans in all areas of live theatrical production support and provides free admission to veterans, their families and care-givers, as well as those on active duty in all branches of the military. Their impact on the theatre community in Los Angeles is reflected by the work they do to fully support the company's Mission Statement: The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles enriches and builds personal growth, professional development and social change through arts experiences inspired by Shakespeare's plays and poetry, focusing on empowering underserved youth and veterans.

Four Clowns presents "Welcome to Illyria! or An Exceedingly Silly Retelling of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night" at the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles
The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles, 1238 W 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90026

TICKETS: $12 online at https://welcometoillyria.bpt.me
$15 at the door
$10 online & at the door on Sunday 2 pm shows

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