IU Theatre continues its first-ever virtual season with Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy, Twelfth Night. Twins Viola and Sebastian have been separated after shipwrecked off the coast of an unfamiliar land. Viola, disguised as Cesario, falls in love with Orsino, who dotes on Olivia, who falls for Cesario but is idolized by Malvolio. Meanwhile, Sebastian manages to only add to the confusion in his search for his lost sister. In Shakespeare’s beloved tale of mistaken identity and unrequited love, characters traverse the contradictory landscapes of romance, where anything proves possible.
IU's production of Twelfth Night transports the classic story to 1970s Central Park, embracing the spirit of free love, celebrating the queerness present in the play, and upending the story's original setting and values of coastal Illyria. Twelfth Night is directed by nationally recognized actor, director, and producer Henry Woronicz. Woronicz is the former head of the MFA Acting Program at Illinois State University and was previously a Visiting Assistant Professor with IU Theatre from 2014-2016. In addition to numerous regional credits, Woronicz spent eleven seasons at Oregon Shakespeare Festival and served as its artistic director.
Joining Woronicz on the creative team are faculty member Allen Hahn (Lighting Designer), and M.F.A students Spencer Gjerde (Scenic Designer), Lily Howder (Lighting Designer), Valeriya Nedviga (Sound Designer), Daniel Sappington (Assistant Director) and Rachel Saylor (Costume Designer). Saylor’s design for this production is in partial fulfillment of their M.F.A thesis. The cast of Twelfth Night includes M.F.A students Anna Doyle (Viola/Sebastian), Isabelle Gardo (Olivia), Daniel Meeks (Sir Toby Belch), and Christopher Plonka (Malvolio). Their performances in Twelfth Night are in partial fulfillment of their MFA theses in Acting.
The College of Arts