Twelfth Night

“If music be the food of love, play on.” Count Orsino, Act I, Sc. 1 Twelfth Night
This romantic comedy is the intriguing tale of twins, Sebastian and Viola, who are separated by a storm at sea and shipwrecked on the shores of the ancient kingdom of Illyria. Each presumes the other lost and drowned. They each make their way into the foreign land seeking new fortunes. Viola, disguised as a young man for her own protection, becomes entangled with the Count Orsino who longs for the Lady Olivia. The Count, charmed by the young “man” sends the fellow to Olivia to do his wooing for him. “He” becomes the heart and voice of Orsino and Olivia falls head over heels in love with…the disguised Viola! Sebastian finds his way to the city and is “enwrapt in wonder” that everyone seems to recognize him and he even receives a marriage proposal from…the Lady Olivia!
Events unfold as the twins come nearer to discovering one another amid real dangers, the comic confusion of mistaken identities, foolish duels, drunken antics and mischievous pranks by a cast of favorite Shakespearean characters including raucous Sir Toby Belch, ridiculous Sir Andrew Aguecheek, pompous Malvolio and the enigmatic Fool. Mingled with music, the play turns from desperate measures by lovelorn couples to ever more delightful surprises as the twins move closer to a reunion, revealing their real identities and finding new lives and loves in Illyria.
“If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction…” Fabian, Act III, Sc. 4 Twelfth Night