After months of intensive rehearsals, NIC students and instructors were finally able to showcase all of their hard work during the opening show of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night, or What You Will” on Oct. 20.
Audience members were amused by the jokes, confusion, and outrageousness from Shakespeare’s drama for about two hours. It was played out by a small cast from the NIC community, directed by NIC’s theater instructor, Joe Jacoby.
The plot of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will follows a young woman named Viola and her brother Sebastian, both of whom are shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria. They each believe that the other is dead and try to make their ways in the world alone.
Viola, disguised as a man named Cesario, starts to work under the Duke Orsino of Illyria and quickly becomes one of his primary servants. The Duke, who is in love with the countess Olivia, sends Cesario, who is actually Viola, to relay his affections to Olivia.
Olivia, a countess, quickly falls in love with Cesario, not realizing that he is Viola. Viola, meanwhile has fallen in love with Duke Orsino.
In Olivia’s house, lives Malvolio, her proper steward, who is extremely disliked by Olivia’s Uncle, Sir Toby, her lady-in-waiting, Maria, and Sir Toby’s friend, Sir Andrew. The three know that Malvolio is also in love with Olivia, so they decide to play a joke on him with the help of the local Jester, Feste.
Maria writes a letter to Malvolio that appears to be from Olivia, professing her love for him and requesting certain behaviors. Malvolio obliges, and when he encounters Olivia, she believes that he is mad, due to his eccentric behavior.
The plot continues to become more convoluted until the final scene when all is revealed, and the play closes.
In the time between tryouts and the opening night, the cast of the play spent countless hours practicing and preparing their performances. Despite needing to replace a cast member two days before opening night, the cast came together and didn’t miss a beat.
“In every show you’re in there is this camaraderie that is kind of unbreakable,” NIC student Kelly Stagner (Feste) said. “But especially when you get to dress rehearsals and the actual performances (…) you really have to work as a team. There’s really just that bond that comes as a cast that is kind of hard to find anywhere else.”
Many actors and actresses say that their favorite part of acting is seeing the show come together in its final form– and it was no different for the people in the NIC play.
“You fall in love with the show, and you fall in love with the characters and the people that you get to work with for a couple of months,” NIC student Cassidy Tidwell (Maria) said. “It feels really good knowing that all of you got to work together as a team… It’s a really good feeling.”
NIC’s production of “Twelfth Night, or What You Will” continues running on October 27 and 28, closing on October 29. There is no cost for admission.
