Ross Valley Players Presents TWELFTH NIGHT

Twelfth Night takes place on the mythical, magical island of Illyria, where almost anything can happen in Director Jennifer LeBlanc's fresh and comedic version of this classic. A shipwreck has stranded two survivors here, Sebastian and Viola, brother and sister, although each is unaware of the survival of the other. The sister, Viola, dresses as a man to protect herself in this strange environment, frustrating Duke Orsino who finds himself falling in love. Great comic confusion ensues involving some of Shakespeare's greatest comic characters, including Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Sir Toby Belch, jester-like Feste and the imposing Malvolio. Will true love win out? Will siblings be reunited? Not easily. And therein lies our tale.

Jennifer Le Blanc (Director) is excited to be directing at Ross Valley Players where she previously directed a staged reading of Mary Ann Rodgers' (The Miracle of) Concepcion. Previous directing credits include Jon Jory's adaptation of Sense and Sensibility at the Livermore Shakespeare Festival and Lonely Planet by Steven Dietz at Studio 12 Ensemble in New York. Jennifer received her B.A. in English Literature from U.C. Berkeley and her MFA in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory. Jennifer teaches with the Livermore Shakespeare Festival and the Arabian Shakespeare Festival. She is also an actor, playwright, and adapter. Ross Valley Players patrons may remember their production of her adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion, and she is excited for their upcoming production of her adaptation of Defoe's Moll Flanders. Jennifer is an associate artist with Cerimon House, the Livermore Shakespeare Festival, and the Arabian Shakespeare Festival.

Melanie Bandera-Hess (Olivia), Jackson Currier (Duke Orsino), Ron Dritz (Antonio), Sonia Gambhir (Fabian), Isabelle Grimm (Valentine), Robyn Grahn (Viola), Michael Benton Harris (Sir Andrew Aguecheek) Anna L. Joham (Curio), Sarah McKereghan (Feste), Steve Price (Sir Toby Belch), Malcolm Rodgers (Malvolio), Mary Ann Rodgers (Maria), Ian Wilcox (Sebastian).

About Ross Valley Players:

Now in its 89th year, Ross Valley Players, a non-profit arts organization, is the oldest continually operating community theater on the West Coast. Created in 1930 as a way to escape the hardships of the Depression, Ross Valley Players has introduced live theater to tens of thousands of Marin residents over the years. Each year, RVP presents a regular season of six full productions, running a total of 30 weeks. RVP offers special events and short-term productions outside the regular season. Plays include recent Broadway material, popular plays, classic theater, and a selection of works by well-known playwrights from around the world. RVP features all genres: comedy, drama, mysteries, and musicals. Their Ross Alternative Works (RAW) program presents short run, minimal set productions of original scripts by Bay Area playwrights.