Twelfth Night

NORTHAMPTON, MA — The Smith College Department of Theatre presents Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, directed by Daniel Elihu Kramer on April 23, 24, 25, 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Theatre 14. Viola and her twin brother Sebastian wash ashore in Illyria and are separated. Viola dresses as a boy and goes to the court of Count Orsino, who finds himself deeply attracted to this boy, “Cesario.” Sebastian, meanwhile, finds himself with Antonio, a pirate who wants to buy him presents. Orsino sends Viola to court Olivia on his behalf, but Olivia is more attracted to Viola. And all of that is just the beginning. Tickets $5–15 at smitharts.ludus.com. Free for Smith students by contacting the Box Office.

Twelfth Night, believed to have been written in 1601, is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and important romantic comedies. It has inspired adaptations and reimaginings for centuries. The title refers to the traditional Christian festival of the twelfth night after Christmas, which marks the eve of the Epiphany, a time of revelry and the temporary suspension of social order (perhaps not unlike the freedom of four years of college). The play starts with a shipwreck separating twins, each believing the other to have died, and leads to disguises, mistaken identity, a love triangle, and lots of bawdy humor. But, it is also a story about loss, love, and longing.

Daniel Elihu Kramer, Professor of Theatre, says that part of the reason the play was chosen is that it asks questions about love, gender, and identity. “So many of the characters are trying out roles (lovelorn count, lady in mourning, young woman disguised as a young man). They are trying to learn who they are, who they want to be, and who they will become,” he explains, “So much of students’ time in college is spent asking and exploring these same questions.” Plus, it’s a lot of fun.

Kramer is excited to be working with a student cast of 14 and student and faculty designers to imagine what a specifically Smith College production of Twelfth Night might be. Smith’s campus frames the action, and projections featuring Wolf Kahn pastels evoke the imagined kingdom of Illyria, where our story takes place. Ed Check, Theatre faculty, designed the sets. Faculty Lara Dubin is co-lighting designer with Zoey Zilber ’25. Costumes are designed by Tyler Swartz ’25 with sound design by Frankie McRedmond ’26 and Shira Siegal ’25, props charge.

The Twelfth Night cast will not be complete until show time. A special character will be played by a student volunteer from the audience each night. This and other surprises will keep the audience on their toes during this much-loved comedy. “We are all playing roles.” Kramer observes, “For whom? Ourselves? Others? Why do children play-act? What are the pleasures of imagination, especially when we apply it to ourselves?”