TWELFTH NIGHT

(c) Riley Jo 2010

     "TWELFTH NIGHT"

     Upon seeing the poster of the play “Twelfth Night” just days before its showcase, I found it really interesting and funny. I was really fascinated by it since it was not one of those cliche wherein people can easily predict the outcome of the story. It was little confusing though, since the picture only told a little on what to expect in the show. But to be honest, I was really excited to watch the presentation.

     On the day of the play, I arrived at the mini theater just as the show was about to start. Since I was seated at the back part of the venue, I was not able to catch all the words uttered in the entire play. As what I have understood, the story was all about the adventures of a girl who disguised herself as a male servant so she could get be near the man she loved the most.

     The story started with a shipwreck that separated Viola from her twin brother, Sebastian. Although her brother had gone missing, Viola still had hopes that Sebastian had survived the tragic incident.

     Viola, who was so in love with Duke Orsino, concealed her identity by dressing up like a man and worked as eunuch in the name Cesario. She did this so she could be with Orsino. While serving Orsino, Viola would express her secret feelings indirectly toward him by pretending of having a sister who admired a certain lad and was willing to do anything for the man she loved. However, the duke was after another girl named Olivia. Unfortunately, Viola (who was then Cesario) was sent by Orsino to convince Olivia that his intentions were pure, and to persuade her to accept his proposal of marriage. Ironically, the cold-as-ever Lady Olivia, who had rejected Orsino’s plead for many times, immediately fell in love as soon as she laid her eyes on Viola (Cesario).

      The story got more complicated towards the end when Sebastian ended up on Olivia’s lawn, and the beautiful lady mistaken Sebastian as Cesario. The funniest part was when Sebastian unexpectedly met Viola dressed as a man and did not even recognize his twin. Viola finally revealed herself and Orsino realized the truth from the stories she made up that the “sister” she was referring to was actually her and that the “man” whom she loved was him. Despite the odd turn of events, the story still ended with a “happily ever after”. It was only strange to think on how Olivia’s feelings toward Cesario shifted to Sebastian that fast, which is really hard to believe. LOL :D

     Overall, I was satisfied with the whole performance. The cast depicted their roles well and the setting really suited the play’s theme. I didn’t think it was a waste of time watching such beautiful story. I only have one comment regarding the venue. You see, the MSU-IIT mini theater was really crowded during the show. I do think the “Twelfth Night” did not deserve to be performed in the mini theater because it deserved a bigger one. I think the mini theater was too small for such excellent performance. Good job, ABEO!!!