A comedy for the ages: “Twelfth Night” will be performed for two weekends at UT

A shipwreck, a cross dresser, a love triangle, a drug lord and a clown that literally cooks bacon — how many more elements can be thrown into a single Shakespearean play?

The University of Toledo’s upcoming production of “Twelfth Night” is directed by Cornel Gabara who, according to theatre major Dre Medina, understands and grasps Shakespeare flawlessly.

“Cornel always said, ‘Shakespeare is meant to be acted, not read, but performed, not read,’” said Christina Pinciotti, a second-year theatre major who plays the role of Viola. “It totally makes more sense seeing it performed.”

According to Cory Sprinkles, a third-year theatre major, the performance aspect is what makes Shakespeare come to life.

“Shakespeare was a contemporary artist and pretty much all we’re doing is we’re modernizing what Shakespeare did, making it so people here can understand it,” Sprinkles said.

According to Pinciotti, the real difficulty with Shakespeare is the language.

“The way he words it is kind of like Yoda, honestly,” Sprinkles said, “He just flips the words around — it’s not even in modern grammar — but it’s still easy to understand if you take the words and flip them the way you’re supposed to.”

This specific production of “Twelfth Night” will use the original Shakespearian text with modern adaptations to the set, costumes, music and references.

“We’re not trying to treat it like it’s four hundred years old, because it is, but we’re acting like we’re just talking it normal,” Medina said.

The audience will see contemporary references, such as prop bricks of cocaine, that were not mentioned in the original Shakespearian script, but were added to the play by the director.

“Well there’s a drug lord, you see…there’s cocaine being thrown around several times, that’s not normally in Shakespeare,” Sprinkles said.

In fact, the play is about a shipwreck where twins Sebastian and Viola find themselves on the coast of Illyria. The twins are separated and Viola believes her brother is dead.

In an attempt to make something of her new life, she dresses up as a man and calls herself Cesario. Viola then serves Duke Orsino as Cesario.

“I fall in love with him,” Pinciotti said, “but he’s in love with Olivia, and Olivia falls in love with me thinking that I’m a man, but I’m actually a woman. So it’s like a love triangle.”

Medina said this play is a “representation of human nature” — just like all of Shakespeare’s plays.

“To me Shakespeare is really, really easy and enjoyable,” Medina said. “I like reading it.”

He said the best part about performing Shakespeare is that they have the chance to take a classical play, adapt it and make it different in an exciting way.

According to Medina, if there is one thing that the UT theatre department is known for it is being “unpredictable.”

At one point during the play, Pinciotti said the clown character will be literally cooking bacon on the stage. She said that Gabara wanted to include as many sensory details into the play as possible.

“I think we have a George Foreman or something, I don’t know for sure,” Pinciotti said.

Sprinkles said that the modernization will help the audience get past the language difference.

“It’s in English obviously, but there are those doth, hath, and thous and thines,” Pinciotti said.

Regardless of the time period, Pinciotti said the play will always be relatable because it explores classic themes of love and identity that humans struggle with.

“Don’t fear Shakespeare…” she said, “I mean it’s still relevant to today, they feel the same, it’s just that language, it’s hard to get past.”

“Twelfth Night” will be performed Feb. 20-22 and Feb. 27 to March 1 in the Center Theatre in the Center for Performing Arts. Friday and Saturday performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday performances will begin at 2 p.m. Admission is $7 for students, $10 for staff and faculty and $12 for general public.