From SparkNotes…which is a must have for anyone wishing to delve into the mysteries of Shakespearean text…along with the Folger Library, Cliffs Notes…the Oxford English Dictionary…the Bible…you get the idea! 

“In the kingdom of Illyria, a nobleman named Orsino lies around listening to music, pining away for the love of Lady Olivia. He cannot have her because she is in mourning for her dead brother and refuses to entertain any proposals of marriage. Meanwhile, off the coast, a storm has caused a terrible shipwreck. A young, aristocratic-born woman named Viola is swept onto the Illyrian shore. Finding herself alone in a strange land, she assumes that her twin brother, Sebastian, has been drowned in the wreck, and tries to figure out what sort of work she can do. A friendly sea captain tells her about Orsino’s courtship of Olivia, and Viola says that she wishes she could go to work in Olivia’s home. But since Lady Olivia refuses to talk with any strangers, Viola decides that she cannot look for work with her. Instead, she decides to disguise herself as a man, taking on the name of Cesario, and goes to work in the household of Duke Orsino.”

Join us as Viola, dressed as the young man, Cesario, ventures to navigate the world of Illyria without her twin brother whom she fears is drowned. From misused, misunderstood, and misadventured affairs of the heart, we bring you hilarity, intrigue, and good old fashioned Shakespearean prankery!  See Shakespeare!  We can make up words too!  

SPECIAL THANKS!!!

A production like this is never possible without the help and dedication of many individuals who often go unmentioned.  We would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to the following:  Lauren Appelhans (Costumes), Christy, Rich, Doug, Dustin (huge help on sound), and the entire Arts Magnet Team, 657 Booster Parents (brilliant and amazing), Cary Smith (constant support), Sean Scribbick (Huge, Huge thanks for always having our back!) Alicia Grismer , Elizabeth Garcia, Phil Ulrickson, Sue Barnes, Maria Clark, our wonderful custodial staff, Amy Luster, and so many others!!  Thank you, thank you, a million times the more!  

And because I keep promising and forgetting…Special shoutout to Parkview Family Eye Center and specifically Dr. Monique Mikula for graciously and generously coming to our rescue when we had an eye emergency in a previous show.  

This pre-show to our production of Twelfth Night is directed, performed, and light-designed exclusively by students who have done amazing work with a wacky script. 

How to Watch… is directed by Annalyse Jensen-Moore.  

Author's note:  

When I told my parents that we had chosen to do Shakespeare's Twelfth Night for our Fall play, my father asked me, “Why Shakespeare?”  My initial response was, “why not?”  Answers to that question through my career as a teacher, especially as an English teacher, included: Nobody understands it, it's boring, it's difficult, nobody understands it, it's scary…because nobody understands it.  So, a short introductory play was written to assuage everyone's concerns regarding watching a full length Shakespearean play - the moral of which is, “Don't be afraid of Shakespeare.  You don't have to feel dumb, or embarrassed if you are confused because, well, nobody understands it.”  Enjoy!