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A touch of William Shakespeare is available for Arkadelphia’s enjoyment this week. Last night, Ouachita Baptist University’s production of “Twelfth Night” opened to an enthusiastic audience.
The comedy plays like a classic, literate episode of “Three’s Company” with its serious of amusing misunderstandings and cross-dressing.
The program for the play reads, “This well known and loved Shakespeare comedy shows fools in love and explores the depths that many of us go through in the pursuit of that elusive sentiment called love.”
As the program notes, among the characters, Orisno loves Olivia, Viola/Cesario loves Orsino, Olivia loves Viola/Cesario, Toby loves Maria, Andrew loves Olivia and Malvolio loves himself.
The situation makes for much in the way of confusion and laughter.
Among the most impressive performances is Lauren Casteel, who plays Maria. Maria is a spunky character in Casteel’s hand. Whenever she appears on stage, a sudden energy envelopes the production.
Jody Lee and Moriah Patterson, who play one of the show’s many potential couples, have very good chemistry. So much so, that a scene where Patterson discretely tries to get closer to a dozing Lee is among the funniest in the play.
A group of fools, Rudy Jones, Garrett Whitehead, Jacob Watson and Cody Myers all seem to have an imense amount of fun with their parts.
Perhaps the highlight of the play, though, comes toward the end. Masterfully disguised as an old man, Ouachita sophomore Bethany Swiontek expertly embodies hilarity with barely a handful of lines. Watch for her character, a priest, even when she does not have lines. She, playing a he, definitely contributes a fair share of hilarity.
Daniel Inouye does a great job of keeping the action moving at a break-neck pace, helping to add to the chaos of the story. Props must also be given to the impressive lighting and scenic design by Eric Phillips, and also the costume and makeup by Mary Handiboe.
Among the other performers in the production are Lynley Vire, Justin Ratliff, Tyler Herron, Alexis Pace, C.J. Bernard, MaryLacey Thomson, Joe Ochterback, Sam Spradling, Jacob Sturgeoon, Gemma Guiomard, Katie Willhite, Heather White, Timothy Drennan and Xavier Lagunas.
Kathryn Kellogg serves as the assistant director, while the assistant lighting designer is Steven Miller and the sound design was by Jacob Watson.
The show opened Wednesday at Verser Theatre on Ouachita’s campus, and will also be performed Thursday and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, it was play at 4 p.m., and it will begin its last performance on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are six dollars, and one free ticket is available for each Ouachita student ID. For more information call the Ouachita box office at 245-5563. The box office is open from two to five p.m. weekedays.
A touch of William Shakespeare is available for Arkadelphia’s enjoyment this week. Last night, Ouachita Baptist University’s production of “Twelfth Night” opened to an enthusiastic audience.
The comedy plays like a classic, literate episode of “Three’s Company” with its serious of amusing misunderstandings and cross-dressing.
The program for the play reads, “This well known and loved Shakespeare comedy shows fools in love and explores the depths that many of us go through in the pursuit of that elusive sentiment called love.”
As the program notes, among the characters, Orisno loves Olivia, Viola/Cesario loves Orsino, Olivia loves Viola/Cesario, Toby loves Maria, Andrew loves Olivia and Malvolio loves himself.
The situation makes for much in the way of confusion and laughter.
Among the most impressive performances is Lauren Casteel, who plays Maria. Maria is a spunky character in Casteel’s hand. Whenever she appears on stage, a sudden energy envelopes the production.
Jody Lee and Moriah Patterson, who play one of the show’s many potential couples, have very good chemistry. So much so, that a scene where Patterson discretely tries to get closer to a dozing Lee is among the funniest in the play.
A group of fools, Rudy Jones, Garrett Whitehead, Jacob Watson and Cody Myers all seem to have an imense amount of fun with their parts.
Perhaps the highlight of the play, though, comes toward the end. Masterfully disguised as an old man, Ouachita sophomore Bethany Swiontek expertly embodies hilarity with barely a handful of lines. Watch for her character, a priest, even when she does not have lines. She, playing a he, definitely contributes a fair share of hilarity.
Daniel Inouye does a great job of keeping the action moving at a break-neck pace, helping to add to the chaos of the story. Props must also be given to the impressive lighting and scenic design by Eric Phillips, and also the costume and makeup by Mary Handiboe.
Among the other performers in the production are Lynley Vire, Justin Ratliff, Tyler Herron, Alexis Pace, C.J. Bernard, MaryLacey Thomson, Joe Ochterback, Sam Spradling, Jacob Sturgeoon, Gemma Guiomard, Katie Willhite, Heather White, Timothy Drennan and Xavier Lagunas.
Kathryn Kellogg serves as the assistant director, while the assistant lighting designer is Steven Miller and the sound design was by Jacob Watson.
The show opened Wednesday at Verser Theatre on Ouachita’s campus, and will also be performed Thursday and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. On Friday, it was play at 4 p.m., and it will begin its last performance on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are six dollars, and one free ticket is available for each Ouachita student ID. For more information call the Ouachita box office at 245-5563. The box office is open from two to five p.m. weekedays.
