Submitted anonymously to the Lions’ Log
On March 30th, 31st and April 1st, the SLC Theater Troupe presented an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, and I have only one way to describe the event: well-coordinated.
The actors delivered fantastic performances. Their acting skills made the audience believe they were in a true Shakespeare universe. The emotions presented were well delivered and submerged the audience entirely in the roles performed. This was especially the case with the actress interpreting Olivia. Her fine acting made one believe she was the actual Olivia. I enjoyed it when she tried to seduce Viola because she seemed to completely change her character from an innocent woman to a cunning charmer. The actress who played Viola also presented this amount of prowess, as she displayed a very interesting interpretation of the main character. It especially made me laugh when she gently tried to reject Olivia in her various and imaginative flirting attempts (Special credit to the interpreter of Feste, whose comedic relief made the audience laugh).
While some interpreters spoke powerfully and could be heard up to the last row of seats, some actors could barely be heard. Their low voice made it difficult to understand what they were saying, thus presenting the audience with missing parts of the dialogue, and leaving them to deduce dialogue. It also made it difficult to understand the reactions of the characters to what was said. Fortunately, there were only a few of the actors who spoke silently so the overall atmosphere of the play was not too affected.
However, the dialogue was sometimes complex to apprehend due to its elaborate and sophisticated vocabulary. Of course, the play was written in the 1600s, so it is normal that Shakespeare did not speak as we do today. But, even if I did not understand everything that was happening, I could deduce it due to the actors’ brilliant acting.
Although the composed musical arrangement only sometimes suited the play’s mood, the addition of a live solo with a guitar, sung by the actress who played Feste, brought an excellent positive balance to the musical component, which I found to be well placed.
An ingenious twist of the play was the costumes. While the play was supposed to happen in the 1600s, the costumes were designed to resemble the ones in the 1940s. I was surprised to see this change but found the concept interesting as it shifts the general atmosphere of the play. Because women like Olivia and her servant, Maria, are supposed to wear dresses, their wearing pants brought a tone of modernity and feminism to the play, which I loved.
I could presume that by the final reaction, the audience loved the play. Often, they would burst out laughing at a joke the actors delivered, and it was easily understood that the play was a success. They were rewarded by a concert of applause, and invisible flowers were thrown onto the stage.
It was easy to tell the actors were proud of themselves. They had worked hard throughout the whole year, and their efforts paid off in the end: they were able to build almost from scratch a Shakespearian play using limited resources to succeed.
The theatre troupe was able to raise up to the challenge and give an outstanding performance. The quality of the play was good considering it’s at a college level, and the prices were totally justified.
Overall, the play was wonderful, and its merit cannot be denied. Once again, congratulations to the SLC Theater troupe group for putting on a masterpiece with only a few months’ work.
