What is going on in Illyria? (The Globe Players/Kentucky Shakespeare Festival)
Aug 2
3 min read
4
126
0
12th Night or What You Will By William Shakespeare
Directed by Kyle Ware
Review by Kate Barry
Entire contents are copyright @2025 by Kate Barry. All rights reserved.
Kentucky Shakespeare Festival has established itself as a landmark summer destination for theater nerds and Shakespeare fans alike. The productions are solid and accessible for any kind of patron. And now, The Globe Players are treated to a run in the C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheater. The professional training program for high school theatre artists has the chance to display their budding talent, and this year’s selection of 12th Night is an Elizabethan farce full of whimsy.
If you are not are familiar with 12th Night, here is a bare bones run down: Viola is shipwrecked on an island and separated from her brother, Sebastian. To survive, Viola dresses as a boy and finds work with the Duke Orsino. There is mistaken identity, love triangles, letters and yellow stockings. Lots of confusion to be sure, but don't worry, everything is sorted out and everyone gets a happy ending. It is a comedy, after all.
The Globe Players do well with Shakespeare’s text under the direction of Kyle Ware. The humorous beats are emphatic and the timing flows with ease. The character choices are clear and the Globe Players are a joy to watch as an ensemble. The incredulous tone of the play is heighten by the pacing of the brisk scenes and moves the action along nicely.
Madeleine Semones’ Viola gives a strong performance as she sorts through the chain of events her hidden identity has caused. Semones’ “I left no ring with her” speech is a fresh take as she literally examines herself and her involvement with Olivia and the Duke. Her delivery of “I am the man,” provides a punch line for Viola that can often seem like throwaway line. Semones’ bring empathy to a character that could easily be performed with hesitancy whether she is running away from Olivia or falling for the Duke Orsino. Roman Scott’s Orsino is a full hearted romantic. Scott taps into Orsino’s admiration for the finer things like music and embraces the Duke’s heightened emotions. Semone’s Viola makes it clear why falling in love with Orsino is so irresistible.
On the other hand, there is Olivia, played with heart fully displayed on her sleeve by Kate Michael Stewart. In the throes of mourning, Stewart’s Olivia sorts through grief, falling in love and then falling in love again with a great amount of dramatic flair. She is a fool in love as she breathlessly and literally chases Viola. At the pivotal reveal of Viola’s brother, Sebastian (played with gusto by Daniel Gonzalez-Matehuala) Stewart’s delivery of “most wonderful” rightfully wins and deserves the audience laughter.
As Viola is sorting out the love triangle she has stumbled into, Olivia’s uncle is stirring up his own shenanigans. In this version, Colin Brandt’s Sir Toby Belch strays away from drunken decisions and instead is an alpha-dog schemer. Grayson Beverly’s Sir Andrew Aguecheek is a hapless pawn for Sir Toby and provides some great comedy throughout as well. Ripe with confidence, Brandt’s Sir Toby enables his cohort to play a trick on Malvolio. Noah Chudgar’s Malvolio is a rigid servant to Olivia who quickly falls victim to Sir Toby’s actions. Chudgar leans into Malvolio’s logic to overthink a simple yet vague love letter. Chudgar has fun as Malvolio prances in his yellow stockings, a joke that always pays off regardless of production.
The role of Feste is divided equally and simply called the Fools. Played by Andy Wallace and Max Wright, these two steal the show from the very start. They harmonize and ham it up with abandon. Wallace and Wright play off each other like any comedy duo as they throw out puns, word play and just plain philosophical nonsense, typical of Shakespeare’s clown. And these clowns do plenty of fooling around.
The Globe Players perform 12th Night for the remainder of this week and close on Sunday August 3rd. You do not want to miss this play full of young comedic talent. But I have a feeling we will see these Globe Players in the professional productions in future seasons very soon.
12th Night or What You Will Part of Kentucky Shakespeare’s Festival in Central Park July 30, 31, August 1, 2, 3 @8:00 p.m. (no performances on Monday or Tuesdays) C. Douglas Ramey Amphitheatre in Old Louisville's Central Park 1340 South Fourth Street Louisville, KY 40208 https://kyshakespeare.com
