Antaeus prsents Twelfth Night

In the final scenes of director John Madden's "Shakespeare in Love," Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) .now smitten with his girl to boy actress/boy to girl: GIRL, Juliet (Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola),  he rushes to his parchment,  shapens his quill and sets forth with a new play for Twelfh Night at the request of Queen Elizabeth 

Open Act I Scene 1.. Shipwrect and a castaway maiden... Viola.

If you are familiar with the play? Good.  if not  go to Cliff Noes and refresh.   It's a comedy of cross dressed disguise and challenging wordplay and eventually .. as the Geoffrey Rush character says in the film.. It all works out! Great!

 

Director Armin Shimerman's reputation for knowledge of The Bard is well known. Antaeus Theatre Company's dedication to 'the classics' is right up there, too and this production reflects a wonderful use of the space in Glendale with a tribute to how the beautiful stuff of four hundred years ago...  .as our ears adjust to Elizabethan dialogue.. a fun time may be had by all. 

Shimerman's direction adds depth and good humor with swift action that pulls it all together. The mark of good direction is that each and all of the charcters/actors is in the same play  at the same time... 

Well.. ...except for Joel Swetow's  Malvolio, who knocks it out of the park with the passions of The Master Thespian!  Appropriately!

Quick synopsis? Shipwreck!   Twins tempest tossed on different distant shores. Viola  (Liza Seneca) becomes Cesario and snuggles up to Orsino, the Duke, played by David DeSantos, smitten with Olivia.

   Belch makes mischief. Jocularity ensues. Not drowned at sea, Sebastian (Isaac Ybarra ) shows up.  All's Well, etc. 

Here comes a slight 'quibble' as an actor pal of mine might say.  Shimerman's double   casting slightly challenges the audience with a couple of uses of the same actors for different roles.  If you are familiar with the plot, properly abandoning disbelief and going with the flow, it all works out. Referring to the program helps. .  

Flip side of this tiny note is the choice to double cast Kitty Swink.. one of my very favorite actresses for a long time.. as the crusty Maria (pronounced Mar eye uh) who is smitten with Sir Toby (Rob Nagle) and takes no prisoners..She also plays the rascal, Fabian. Slap a mustache on her and a cool hat and we have some fun.

 Liza Seneca's transformation from Viola to the man servant, Cesario is very clever and as long as you go along with the story, works beautifully.   

Stamndout John Allee as Feste (the Fool!) may be.. as Shimerman suggests . the only truly sane person on the stage.  His great physicality and professional piano chops give the production nice boosts of energy, especially with the finale  Hey Ho The Wind and the Rain!

 As with every Antaeus production I've reviewed. for years.. the sets are imaginative and functional and beautiful.  Christopher Scott Murillo is the designer and Vickie J. Scott's gorgeous lighting keep the flow of the action moving well.  

Kate Burg's  'modern' dress costume designs are rustic and earthy, making the characters more down  to earth than  if we'd seen them in Elizabethan finery.  

A fun surprise is Alberto Isaac as Sir Andrew Aguecheek.  Shakepeare describes  him as a sort of an Ichabod Crane. Mr. Isaac is five two and plays it broadly.

Veralyn Jones  as Olivia wears her mourning weeds well and is risen from the funk of her departed brother's passing  to find Cesario pretty interesting as does Count Orsino (David DeSantos) as well with very mixed and confused emotions  flying left and right when it comes to Viola / Cesario..

Know the story. If you are familiar with the plot and tune your ear to the language, be prepared to rise and sing along with  Feste and the cast:

Hey Ho.. The Wind and the Rain.. 

TWELFTH NIGHT

by William Shakespeare

Antaeus Theatre Company

110 E Broadway, Glendale, CA 91205

 Now through March 17, 2025

Save Your Seats Now!
Single Tickets start at $45, or SUBSCRIBE and see Twelfth Night and The Glass Menagerie for $60 

Cast:
FESTE: John Allee  
ORSINO/POLICE OFFICER: David DeSantos 
ANDREW AGUECHEEK/CURIO: Alberto Isaac  
OLIVIA: Veralyn Jones .jones
ANTONIO/OLIVIA’S VALET: Luis Kelly-Duarte
TOBY BELCH: Rob Nagle
VIOLA: Liza Seneca
MALVOLIO/SEA CAPTAIN/POLICE OFFICER: Joel Swetow
MARIA/FABIAN: Kitty Swink 
SEBASTIAN/SAILOR: Isaac Ybarra 
 
 

CREW:

Scenic Designer: Christopher Scott Murillo  

Costume Designer: Kate Bergh
Lighting Designer: Vickie J. Scott
Sound Designer: Carter Dean .
Properties Designer: John McElveney
Composer/Music Director: John Allee
Intimacy Director: Jen Albert
Scenic Assistant: Carter Vickers
Production Stage Manager: Jessaica Shields
Production Dramaturg/Assistant Director: Kaite Brandt 

Assistant Stage Manager: Jess Osorio 

Exchange Parking Structure

Address: 115 North Artsakh Avenue
Number of Spaces: 694
Rates: First 90 minutes free, $2.00/hour, Maximum daily charge: $9.00
With validation: $1 for up to four hours

Marketplace Parking Structure

Address: 120 Artsakh Avenue
Number of Spaces: 1,124
Rates: First 90 minutes free, $2.00/hour, Maximum daily charge: $9.00
With validation: $1 for up to four hours

 

Recommended for Ages 10+

Run Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one 10 minute intermission.

We have Free Special Events Following These Shows:

Sunday, February 16 at 2:00pm - After Words: A casual post-show discussion with Artistic Director Nike Doukas, exploring how the show resonated, raising new questions, and continuing the conversation.

Monday, March 3 at 8:00pm - Meet the Artists: A post-show conversation with the actors, where they share insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and answer your questions.