ASOLO REP EDUCATION & OUTREACHPRODUCTION GUIDE 2015 New Stages Tour

PRODUCTION GUIDE

TOURING SEPTEMBER 29 - NOVEMBER 24

By WILLIAM SHAKESPEAREAdapted and Directed by JEN WINEMANASOLO REP

EDUCATION &OUTREACH

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

T HE NE W STAGES TOUR .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

W H Y H IDE OUR HE A RT S? A n In t roduc t ion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

“W HO GOV ER NS HER E?” People and P lo t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

I S T HER E FAC T IN T HE F IC T ION? C lues f rom H is to r y. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

HOW DOES LOV E SOUND? L anugage and Mus ic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

BE T HE A RT IST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

W H Y A DA P T SH A K ESPE A R E?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

HOW IS TWELFTH N IG HT A DA P T ED?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

“W H AT L A ND IS T H IS?” A Modern I l l y r ia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

A F T ER T HE PER FOR M A NCE.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

UPCOMING OPPORT UN I T IES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B ACK COV ER

ASOLO REP LEADERSHIPProducing Artistic Director MICHAEL DONALD EDWARDS

Managing Director LINDA DIGABRIELE

FSU/Asolo Conservatory Director, Associate Director of Asolo Rep GREG LEAMING

TWELFTH NIGHTCREATIVE TEAMDirector JEN WINEMAN

Production Design MELISSA TRN

Sound Design MATTHEW PARKER

Dramaturg LAURYN E. SASSO

Stage Managers KELLY A. BORGIA RACHEL MORRIS

Prop Master MARLENN MAROTTE WHITNEY

Voice and Dialect Coach PATRICIA DELOREY

ASOLO REP EDUCATION& OUTREACH STAFFEducation & Outreach Director KATHRYN MORONEY

Education & Outreach Specialist RIA COOPER

Education & Outreach Apprentice JENNA SMOGER

Literary & Education Apprentice REID SHELLEY

Need a digital copy of this guide? www.asolorep.org/education/resources

Video webisodes will be created during the rehearsal process and tour; email education@asolo.org to be notified when a new webisode is available. These will also be posted online.

WHAT IS THE NEW STAGES TOUR?

The New Stages Tour brings a Shakespeare performance directly to your school. You will see one of Shakespeare’s comedies shortened into a 45-minute version created uniquely for Florida students, and performed for the very first time this fall.

The performers are actors in the third and final year of their Masters of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree in the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. After Twelfth Night each of these actors will perform in additional plays at Asolo Repertory Theatre in Sarasota, FL, until their graduation in 2016.

This production is fully rehearsed and choreographed, but because it travels to one or two locations each school day, it cannot rely on complex scenery or lighting. In addition to the actors’ performances, Twelfth Night will use costume design, sound design (including music), and simple prop elements. In this way our performance is not so different from the theatre of Shakespeare’s time:

“Torches, candles, or other visual cues could identify the time as ‘night,’ as could costumes (like ‘nightgowns’)… Women were played by boys, kings by commoners; night scenes, staged in the middle of the afternoon, were created by language.” Marjorie Garber, Shakespeare After All

ASK AN ACTOR Every New Stages Tour performance is followed by a question and answer session with the cast.

We encourage you to consider and discuss what you would like to ask the actors, including questions about the play, how they interpret their characters, or their experience rehearsing and performing Shakespeare’s work. Ideas are included throughout this guide to spark your curiosity….

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“My father had a daughter loved a man…” Centuries have passed since Shakespeare wrote his plays, but a conversational tactic he used is one we still recognize. “So, I have this friend…” we might say today, in order to avoid a personal confession that would reveal something too vulnerable.

Twelfth Night’s heroine uses the same camouflage: “Say that some lady, as perhaps there is…” She hides behind a hypothetical example to speak in code about her own romantic interest. Of course Shakespeare’s vocabulary was different from ours, and he allowed his characters to speak in poetry as well as prose, which most of us don’t do in our daily lives. Settings, manners, and customs have all changed since he lived and wrote. Those changes mean that today’s students, actors, and professional scholars alike all have to look closely to interpret Shakespeare’s words. Once we get beyond what is unfamiliar, however, the way people behave hasn’t changed so much.

“His plays are the greatest example there is of people’s theater: in this theatre the public found and still finds its own problems and re-experiences them.”Jean-Paul Sartre, philosopher and writer

Shakespeare’s plays deal with secrets a few different ways. A soliloquy or an aside gives a character the chance to tell thoughts and feelings directly to the audience. A character in disguise – a feature of many of Shakespeare’s plays – has the chance to hear and say things they might not otherwise.

In this excerpt, Orsino and his new employee are having “guy talk” about why Orsino’s crush, Olivia, won’t love him back. Orsino doesn’t know that “Cesario,” the young man he’s talking to, is actually a woman in disguise, and he certainly doesn’t know that she is in love with him.

CESARIO: Say that some lady, as perhaps there is,Has for your love as great a pang of heart As you have for Olivia; you cannot love her;You tell her so; must she not then be answered?

ORSINO: Make no compare Between that love a woman can bear meAnd that I owe Olivia.

CESARIO: Ay, but I know –

ORSINO: What do you know?

CESARIO: Too well what love women to men may owe:In faith, they are as true of heart as we.My father had a daughter loved a man,As it might be, perhaps, were I a woman,I should your lordship.

ORSINO: And what’s her history?

CESARIO: A blank, my lord. She never told her love.

Emotions like love, longing, and loss which fill Twelfth Night have not changed. Shakespeare crafted a play where we, the audience, get to know every character’s secrets before they are revealed to others. When someone speaks in code, we have the key. And so we get to look past the surface they show to the world, and into their hearts.

WHY HIDE OUR HEARTS? An Introduction

CONSIDERHave you ever used this tactic yourself? Can you think of a book, movie, or real life situation where someone asked a question “for a friend?” What was the person trying to keep secret? Why?

CONNECTWhile Shakespeare’s plays document how the English language was evolving, language is still changing today. Around 500 new words and phrases entered the Oxford English Dictionary in June 2015, including “twerk,” “FLOTUS,” “yarn-bombing,” and “crowdfund.” Which do you know? Which might you guess from recognizing related words? Which seem very specific to time and culture?

CONNECTWhat is an aside? What is a soliloquy? Find an example in another of Shakespeare’s plays. Watch for examples of these in the performance.

Which of Shakespeare’s other plays also use disguises? How do they compare?

CONSIDERRead this excerpt first from Orsino’s point of view. Then, read it from Cesario’s point of view, remembering that “he” is a woman in disguise. How does Orsino understand the conversation? What do you hear as the audience that he does not?

EXCERPTS throughout this guide are taken from the adapted script asof 9/21/15.

ASK AN ACTOR To prepare for the play, do you feel you have to understand every character’s point of view? Why or why not?

Do you ever make up your secrets about your character but not tell them to the rest of the cast?

Orsino and ViolaFrederick Richard Pickersgill (1820-1900)

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STR ANGERS COME ASHORESEBASTIAN: Some hour before you took me from the breach of the sea was my sister drowned.

After their boat was caught in a storm, twins Viola and Sebastian each believe the other has drowned. Sebastian was rescued by Antonio, who chooses to travel with Sebastian and protect him, even though he has enemies in the area.

VIOLA: And what shall I do in Illyria?

Without her brother or any family, Viola hopes to find safety and work. Valentine describes his employer, Orsino, and they disguise Viola as a boy to work for him.

UNREQUITED LOVESORSINO: If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it!

Orsino is lovesick for Olivia, but Olivia is mourning for her dead brother and rejects all messages of love. Orsino sends Cesario – Viola disguised in her new male identity – to describe his love, and Olivia finds herself falling for the new messenger boy.

VIOLA: Whoever I woo, myself would be his wife.

Viola/Cesario has fallen in love with her boss, who believes she is a boy.

FOOLISH AMBITIONSANDREW: I saw your cousin do more favors to Orsino’s serving-man than ever she bestowed upon me.

Two others also imagine themselves with Olivia: Andrew Aguecheek is encouraged by Toby Belch that he may have a chance to win her love. Toby and Fabian convince Andrew to fight with Cesario in order to prove himself in Olivia’s eyes.

MALVOLIO: Have ye no wit, manners, nor honesty, but to make an alehouse of mylady’s house!

Malvolio frequently reprimands Olivia’s other staff for their foolishness. Toby’s girlfriend Maria plays a prank by writing a fake letter to convince Malvolio that Olivia loves him secretly and wants him to change the way he acts and dresses. Malovolio wants Olivia’s love and follows the instructions, but everyone acts like he has lost his mind. Feste, a clown, puts on a disguise to join the mischief.

FESTE: And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges.

CONNECTLook at Act 1, Scenes 1 and 2 of the uncut Twelfth Night. These scenes introduce Curio, Valentine and a sea Captain, who are all combined as Valentine in this adaptation. What changes might be made to accomplish this? Does it change the story?

CONSIDERUsing this information, draw a character map with everything you know about the relationships in the play.

If you are not reading Twelfth Night or already familiar with the full plot, look at the romantic interests in your map. How do you imagine Shakespeare will change these by the end of the play?

CONSIDERFinish the sentence: “People want love because….” Is all love the same? How many different kinds of love can you describe? You might base this on your own experience, on the characters in another work you have studied, or on reading Twelfth Night.

REFLECTHow many different versions of love did you see in the play? Describe how one or more of these characters feels about love. What did you see or hear that influenced your impression? Do any of the characters experience love in similar ways? Whose experience of love strikes you as most true to life and why?

REFLECTOne critic wrote: “If some of the play’s characters do find that their fantasies come true, others are punished for daring to have fantasies at all.” Many of these characters want something they cannot have. Does this give the play humor? Does this give the play sadness? What’s the difference?

ASK AN ACTOR Do crazy coincidences in this plot make it hard for you to stay truthful or realistic in your work?

What can you do as an actor to transform yourself into another person? What helps you to discover a character who is very different from you?

“WHO GOVERNS HERE?” People and Plot

1996 film adaptation of Twelfth Night withImogen Stubbs and Helena Bonham Carter.

A 2013 production at Hartford Stage,featuring Malvolio (Bruce Turk) and company

on a whimsical set design by Alexander Dodge.(Photo by T. Charles Erickson)

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IS THERE FACT IN THE FICTION? Clues From History

FABIAN: If this were played upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.

“Shakespeare’s comedies are filled with events and characters and plot twists that are not realistic. Disguises, mistaken identities, twins, cross-dressing, magic, gods and goddesses, coincidence, fairy sprites, concealments, ruses – all these devices abound in Shakespeare’s comedies.” Ken Ludwig, playwright

While the plot of Twelfth Night strikes us as improbable, its antics may also reflect the real world of its time period. Historical context helps us to consider what may have been important to Shakespeare and his audience at the time he was writing. Consider the following examples and watch for where they appear in this play, or where they have been altered.

SOCIAL STATUS“Elizabethan society was intensely, pervasively, visibly, hierarchical: men above women, adults above children, the old above the young, the rich above the poor, the wellborn above the vulgar.” In his book Will in the World, Stephen Greenblatt depicts Shakespeare’s particular effort to obtain a family coat of arms, and imagines that watching his father’s rise and fall in fortunes may have impacted the young artist:

“Again and again in his plays, an unforeseen catastrophe – one of his favorite manifestations of it is a shipwreck – suddenly turns what had seemed like happy progress, prosperity, smooth sailing into disaster, terror, and loss. The loss is obviously and immediately material, but it is also and more crushingly a loss of identity. To wind up on an unknown shore, without one’s friends, habitual associates, familiar network – this catastrophe is often epitomized by the deliberate alteration or disappearance of the name and, with it, the alteration or disappearance of social status.”

BRE AKING RULESTwelfth Night is the English holiday celebrated on the evening before January 6, otherwise known as the Feast of the Epiphany. In England, Twelfth Night was a “feast of misrule,” a festival of eating and drinking during which masques and revels were presented. The roots of this tradition lie in the Roman festival of Saturnalia, which fell during December, and which was characterized by role-playing, particularly the role reversals of masters and slaves.

At the time Shakespeare was writing, professional fools had long been members of royal and noble households in England and Europe. While the fool did not enjoy the same status, an “allowed fool,” as Olivia describes in Twelfth Night, could make irreverent or disrespectful jokes among – and about – the nobles.

MEN DRESSING AS WOMEN (DRESSING AS MEN)Women were not permitted to perform on the English public stage. All Shakespeare’s females were written for and performed by boy players.

“The many cross-dressed roles in the plays took advantage of this material and historical fact, allowing both maleness and femaleness to be bodied forth in performance, and leading, in subsequent centuries, to a particular admiration for the liveliness and initiative of these Shakespearean women.”Marjorie Garber, Shakespeare After All

ASK AN ACTOR Did any knowledge about Elizabethan times help you prepare for this play? Did you do other kinds of research for this specific role and setting?

How is this play similar or different from Shakespeare’s other plays you may haveworked on?

CONNECTCompare Twelfth Night to another of Shakespeare’s comedies. Which of these fanciful elements do they have in common?

CONSIDERWhat is the least realistic work of fiction in any genre (film, tv, literature, etc.) that you have enjoyed? What made it unrealistic? What did you enjoy about it? What is the most realistic work of fiction you have enjoyed, and why?

REFLECTAfter the play, describe elements that were unrealistic. Describe elements of realism. Which of these did you enjoy most and why? Compare with others’ reactions.

CONNECTResearch topics: What is a coat of arms? What was John Shakespeare’s social standing before and during his son’s lifetime? Did Shakespeare take Orsino’s advice to “let your love be younger than yourself?” What is known about Shakespeare’s own experience of love, marriage, and children?

CONNECTResearch where may Shakespeare have meant by the country of “Illyria.” What information would an English citizen have about such a place, and what would it take to journey there?

CONNECTYou can sample a performance performed entirely by men: “2014 Tony Awards Show Clip Twelfth Night” on YouTube.

Research the role of women in theatre in another place and/or culture. How does it compare with the Elizabethan theatre?

Today women’s roles in theatre are also under scrutiny, as significantly fewer women than men are employed in many theatrical professions. Find a recent article discussing this issue.

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HOW DOES LOVE SOUND? Language and Music

ORSINO: How do you like this tune?CESARIO (VIOLA): It gives a very echo to the seat / Where love is throned.

In its arguably most famous lines, “If music be the food of love, play on!” and throughout Twelfth Night, music is linked to love: a tool to heal its hurts or to spark its flame. Music both begins and ends this play, and songs appear throughout, often sung by Feste, one of the “wise fools” Shakespeare included in his writing.

Beyond music, descriptions of love – whether spoken or written – play a crucial role in this play. Viola, dressed as Cesario, inspires a love she doesn’t intend while describing her boss’ feelings.

CESARIO (VIOLA):If I did love you in my master’s flame,With such a suffering, such a deadly life,In your denial I would find no sense; I would not understand it.

OLIVIA:Why, what would you?

CESARIO (VIOLA):Write loyal cantons of contemned loveAnd sing them loud even in the dead of night;Holler your name to the reverberate hillsAnd make the babbling gossip of the airCry out, ‘Olivia!’

Shakespeare gives Viola expressive poetry to describe Orsino’s heart: notice she describes music and and suffering for Olivia: two of Orsino’s trademarks. Her explanation also has its own music. Read these lines out loud, paying particular attention to rhythm of the verse and the vowel sounds. (Look up any words you need. You may notice that “holler” is a modern choice for a disputed word printed as “hallow” or “halloo” in some texts.)

Shakespeare could have given Olivia any reply of equal eloquence to follow Cesario’s aria. Instead she responds with a half line of monosyllables, then a four-word question.

OLIVIA You might do much.What is your parentage?

In the next scene Viola describes Olivia: “methought her eyes had lost her tongue, for she did speak in starts distractedly,” telling us that Olivia seemed to have difficulty finding words. Shakespeare’s plays are full of descriptive clues for actors about how characters are speaking and behaving. Why has Olivia lost her tongue?

As you meet the characters of Twelfth Night, notice who speaks in poetry, and who plainly. Does a character ever change their manner of speech? What might Shakespeare be expressing about those moments?

CONNECTResearch more about the history of hired fools in Shakespeare’s time. How does the Feste of this adaptation reflect that tradition, and how does the character differ from the historical basis?

How does Feste compare with other fools and clowns in Shakespeare’s writing? Research what is known about the actors who played Shakespeare’s fools.

REFLECTDescribe the effect of one of Feste’s songs on a character who hears it.

REFLECTIn Twelfth Night love is often linked to suffering. Watch for how each character suffers love, and the language used to describe it. Who takes their suffering seriously? Who has a sense of humor about it? How can you tell?

CONSIDERFind a declaration or description of love that is long or complex in some other source; you might find this in a lyric, a poem, a novel, or memoir. Also find an expression of love that is extremely short or simple. Present both: which do your classmates find more powerful and why?

ASK AN ACTOR Is it difficult to separate your personal experience with love from your character’s opinions or attitudes?

Is it hard to speak poetic lines, when they might be more complicated or exaggerated than the way we speak in everyday life?

The Public Theatre’s 2009 Shakespeare in the Park production with Audra McDonald and Anne Hathaway.

(Photo by Sara Krulwich/The New York Times)

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BE THE ARTIST

1) Brainstorm scenes or situations which call for a love song. (You might do this independently or in small groups.) Think of situations where someone might be singing or playing a love song live; also imagine settings where the music might be recorded. If there is a situation in literature or history you have read that could involve a love song, include that on your list. Be creative and see how many options you can imagine.

2) Once you have some ideas, choose a situation that you find interests you most, or divide the options among the class.

3) For each chosen situation, decide: • What is the occasion? • Where and when does it take place? • Who is present? • Why is music needed? • Who chose the music? • What should it express?

4) Write a mini-play which contains:• Either the moment before the song begins, or the moment after it ends• At least one, but no more than two lines of dialogue

(If you write two lines, they may be spoken by two different people, or both by the same character.)

• At least one, but no more than two stage directions (Stage directions are descriptions of physical action, such as: He tears the paper and throws the scraps out the window like confetti. Try not to include any internal descriptions, such as what a character is thinking or feeling. Stage directions generally communicate things we can see, hear, or otherwise observe if we’re looking from the outside.)

5) Choose an appropriate song for your scene.OR Share your play with your partner or group and let your collaborators make a selection. (In this case you are the playwright, and your collaborators serve the play the way a director, composer, or sound designer might.)

REFLECT: How did you decide what song expresses your story best? When the audience watches, what emotion do you hope they will use to describe this situation?

6) Prepare to share the play • Cast the actor(s), who will read the line(s).• Cast someone to narrate the stage directions, in order

to show things that might not be clear in the classroom. (She carefully tapes the wrapping paper to the box of kittens.) Fully produced plays don’t require this, of course, but readings of new plays in process often do.

• Plan the staging: is the actor sitting, standing, pacing, engaged in an activity, etc.

• Determine the best method to play music in the classroom, and bring the song to share.

• Rehearse! Everyone should know the cues to speak and start or stop the music. Make any needed adjustments.

7) Perform! • Ask your audience to describe the situation with an emotion. • Can the audience guess what the situation is?

REFLECT: Did the music help to communicate your idea? Did other elements help?

8) What happens to the scene if you trade with the song from another group? Experiment as time allows and see what changes!

9) Decide if this short scene would come in the beginning, middle, or end of a longer play. Are you inspired? Keep writing the rest of the scene or play!

ASK AN ACTOR How was music helpful or important to preparing your work on this play?

Do you have interests in other parts of theatre: playwriting, composing, directing or designing?

Rutina Wesley, Manoel Felciano, and Terence Archie in a 2015 production at the Old Globe in San Diego.

(Photo by Jim Cox)

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WHY ADAPT SHAKESPEARE?

“Every age creates its own Shakespeare…. Like a portrait whose eyes seem to follow you around the room, engaging your glance from every angle, [his] plays and their characters seem always to be ‘modern,’ always to be ‘us.’ ” Marjorie Garber, Shakespeare After All

In the centuries since they were first performed, Shakespeare’s plays have been reimagined in countless new settings and time periods. This is possible, in part, because the plays are all in the public domain: not protected under copyright or any other restriction on how they may be performed, used, or modified. Changing the script, altering characters, or placing the action in completely new locations is legal with Shakespeare. (This is also why it is easy to find the complete text of all his plays available on the internet.)

Since these plays have been seen so many times, such alterations are often expected; artists and audiences alike are curious for a fresh take.

“I am not interested in directing Shakespeare unless I can make it feel like a new play. I am not a purist in any way. I think you can do what you like with these plays. As long as you are not just playing around for the sake of playing around. The test is whether in your heart you feel you are being true to the play.” Matthew Warchus, director

“In all Shakespeare’s plays, there are things which were so much written for the styles and audience of their time that they don’t necessarily carry the same weight today. Underneath, there is very often a purer and stronger and deeper work that today is more relevant.” Peter Brook, director

Opinions on these interpretations differ, and others insist that Shakespeare’s stories communicate best without being forced into anachronistic settings.

“If one tries to bring Shakespeare by the hand towards the modern day, what one is really doing is shaving off all the marvelous exoticism and everything that was different about the spirit of that time. We need difference so that we can understand that the world hasn’t always been the same, that not everyone’s viewpoint has always been the same as ours, and that society did dance to an entirely different beat at one time.” Dominic Dromgoole, director

In many productions, the choice of a non-Elizabethan setting is chiefly expressed through design elements, while the characters and language stay the same. In film Baz Luhrmanm did this famously with Romeo + Juliet (1996), and Joss Whedon more recently with Much Ado About Nothing (2013). But Shakespeare’s plays have also inspired modern variations with completely new text. Romeo and Juliet inspired West Side Story, and Hamlet inspired The Lion King. More recently, O (2001) brought the world of Othello to a high school, just as She’s the Man (2006) did for Twelfth Night.

For this production, Director Jen Wineman explains that she thought very specifically about the student audience who would be watching Twelfth Night:

“It felt important to give the play a setting that students can immediately recognize, since the idea of Shakespeare can be intimidating. We all have preconceptions about what Shakespeare is supposed to look and sound like – and it usually involves British accents and old-fashioned clothing. We want to break that mold for students so they can actually see themselves in these plays and these stories.”

CONNECTResearch the standard copyright protections for a playwright today. Note that even when a work is in the public domain, other aspects may be protected. For instance, translations may be under copyright even when the source material is not.

Intellectual property of other artists, including directors, choreographers, designers, may also be protected. This is one of the reasons photography and recording is prohibited at most theatres.

CONSIDERLook at the graphic design created for this production of Twelfth Night, found on the front cover. What emotions, atmosphere, environment, or story does the image convey? What information or impression does the designer want you to have? How does the image match anything you know about the play so far? Does the design also suggest what the play will not be like?

Imagine your own artwork for literature you are reading. What do you want to communicate to the viewer?

CONNECTWatch the trailer (or more) of the modernized film adaptation She’s the Man starring Amanda Bynes as a girl trying to pass as her brother at boarding school. How does the premise match what you know about Twelfth Night? How does it differ? What elements of this story seem hardest to modernize?

ASK AN ACTOR Do you think the modern elements make it easier or harder to perform Shakespeare?

Is it strange to speak a very old form of English, and then to sing or dance to very modern music just a moment later?

Jen Wineman

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HOW IS TWELFTH NIGHT ADAPTED?

The play you will see is a world premiere adaptation, which means this version of the play has never been performed before. The changes to the play fall under a few main categories:

CUT TING THE TE X T Shakespeare’s plays can take up to four hours to perform in their entirety, but the New Stages Tour makes a goal of presenting a play and a brief discussion afterward all in just one hour. Shortening the text is by far the biggest alteration, and the director had to make many difficult choices about what parts of the plot and the dialogue are most essential for telling the story.

REORDERING AND REASSIGNING Most of Shakespeare’s plays have multiple plots, with action for different groups of characters happening simultaneously. Changing the order that the audience sees the events doesn’t necessarily mean changing the order that they happen for the characters.

With less time to tell the story and fewer lines for each role, some characters can be combined, as when this production combines the roles of Curio, Valentine, and the Captain. Adaptations often alter the age, gender, profession, or relationships for a character in a way that feels appropriate to the new setting or context.

REPL ACING L ANGUAGE Live performance makes it impossible to pause, replay, or research a section of dialogue, no matter how rewarding the insights from careful study and textual notes may be. The philosophy of this adaptation is to remove the most archaic phrases that sound foreign to our ears, while leaving the rest of Shakespeare’slanguage intact.

Substituting an outdated word with its modern form can be straightforward:Thou know’st no less but all. I have unclasp’dTo thee the book even of my secret soul.

Becomes:You know no less but all. I have unclaspedTo you the book even of my secret soul.

In some cases, the original words are unfamiliar; some others are words we still use, but modern audiences will only recognize unhelpful meanings:

Come, come, I’ll go burn some sack; tis too late to go to bed now.

In this case “Burn” and “sack” are known to us, but the reference (to warm and spice some sherry for drinking) is obscure. Today a replacement may better communicate the sense of the line, even if it does not perfectly match what we believe Shakespeare intended.

Come, come, I’ll go fetch some wine; tis too late to go to bed now.

Finally, this adaptation also trades some labels more appropriate to its new setting. For instance, because this production doesn’t take place among royals, references to “Orsino’s court” are replaced by a new phrase instead.

CONNECTThere is evidence that even when they first appeared, Shakespeare’s plays were either cut for performance, or expanded for publication. Find a scene or a speech in one of Shakespeare’s plays, and try cutting it yourself. Can you make it half as long without losing necessary information? Even less? Does it still make sense?

CONNECTTheatre artists can also choose to rearrange the order of scenes for dramatic effect, and not just to cut length. Find an article about the 2015 production of Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch, which stirred up a lot of commentary by moving the most famous soliloquy to the start of the play. Do you think a change makes audiences more interested? Why?

REFLECTJen Wineman begins this Twelfth Night differently than the original text. Why do you think she did so? Did you find her choice effective?

CONNECTThe printing and publishing process of Shakespeare’s time led to inconsistencies and variations in the written record of his plays. Research why there is no pure source for what Shakespeare intended or how his plays were first heard, and an example of an important disputed line.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Reading or learning about this play may have inspired you to conceive your own new setting for this play. Where should it happen? What situation could it possibly resemble today? If you are imagining your own production and wish to be surprised by our interpretation, please save the final two pages of this guide and our online resources until after you have seen the performance!

ASK AN ACTOR Do you enjoy performing Shakespeare in the original language? Would you ever want to perform an adaptation in contemporary speech?

Do you study the parts of the play that were cut out? Why or why not?

9

“WHAT LAND IS THIS?” A Modern Illyria

“Twelfth Night has a mischievous spirit of abandon and freedom: there’s so much love, pranking, and people trying to convince other people that they’re crazy in this play. Summer camp is that place where you get to reinvent yourself away from the hierarchy of school and the real world, and of course it’s exactly the place for a midnight prank, or a disguise, or an unrequited love.” Jen Wineman, Director

This is the cast of characters as imagined for this production, along with some costume sketches by Production Designer Melissa Trn. Look for what has changed from the original, and what has stayed the same.

Olivia: The owner of Camp Illyria. She has recently inherited the camp and is mourning the death of her father and brother.

Orsino: Boys Head Counselor, in love with Olivia

Maria: The Athletic Director, one of the guys

Toby Belch: The Camp Chef, cousin to Olivia, big partyer

Andrew Aguecheek: The Riding Instructor, very wealthy

Fabian: The Arts and Crafts Director, a hippie

Valentine: The Lifeguard, brave and studly

Malvolio: The Nature Director, a real stick in the mud

Feste: A camper at Camp Illyria, likes to entertain everyone

Viola: A counselor at Camp Messaline, very resourceful

Sebastian: A counselor at Camp Messaline, Viola’s twin brother

Antonio: Sailing Director at Camp Messaline,a big fan of Sebastian

CONSIDERReview the cast of characters, as conceived for this production. Read a scene from the play with this interpretation in mind. Does it change the way you understand the scene?

CONNECTHow does Jen’s idea for the setting connect with the historical idea of Twelfth Night? (page 4.)

CONNECTAs a class, collect information on camp to combine and share. You might find an example of camp in pop culture, or a photograph that expresses the essence of summer camp. Research popular camp songs. Find an essay, memoir, or other non-fiction account of camp. Based on these observations, how would you describe the camp experience?

CONSIDERAre people’s experiences of camp all positive? Which Twelfth Night characters may have negative experiences at camp?

CONSIDERWhat is the difference between pranking, hazing, and bullying? You may want to use a resource or reference real-events to form a definition, but describe each in your own words.

REFLECTWhat happened to Malvolio? Is he responsible for what happens to him? Does he trick himself? Was he pranked, or bullied? Why? If you’ve read the play, do you have a different impression from the full-length text than you did from the performance?

ASK AN ACTOR Does the specific summer camp job you have help you understand your character?

Has every actor been to summer camp? If not, was it harder for you to interpret the play this way? How did you work on that?

Left to Right: Feste, Toby and OliviaCostume Designs by Melissa Trn.

Describe the experience of

seeing Twelfth Night and

why this play mattered to

you. Please tell us about

what you saw that felt

true or important in this

performance. Why do you

want to see more plays

this year?

The theme of this year’s season is “Times of Change.” You can read about all the upcoming plays atasolorep.org/this-season. Share what excites or inspires you about two or more of this season’s productions. What kinds of change interest you, and what do you imagine or hope to see onstage?

10

AFTER THE PERFORMANCE

PL AY ON! An oppor tuni t y to win more theatrewww.asolorep.org/playon

Students who see Twelfth Night have the opportunity to earn a free Youth Pass for the entire 15-16 season at Asolo Rep and the FSU/Asolo Conservatory.

Unlimited plays, all year long!

In order to enter, please share your response to one of these topics.

@AsoloRepFollow the visual diary of the tour on Instagram.

Express your answer in any one of these forms:• Personal essay• Poetry or song lyrics • Original two-dimensional artwork, with a brief artist’s

statement about your creation (We recommend that any original artwork should be hand-delivered to the theatre for safety.)

• Letters to the artists (while you may mention individual performers, your letter should be appropriate to share with the entire ensemble of actors and creative staff who work ona production)

Every entry must include your name, school, grade level, mailing address and telephone number. An email address is optional.

Entries should be sent to:Play On!Asolo Rep Education & Outreach5555 N. Tamiami TrailSarasota, FL 34243

Or, email to education@asolo.org with the subject line “Play On!”

Entries must be received by December 1, 2015.Winners will be notified by December 15.

Asolo Rep 2015-16 Youth Passes are also availablefor purchase for $35.asolorep.org/ticketing/subscriptions or 941-351-8000

Kelsey Petersen and Kevin Barber from Asolo Rep’s

presentation of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training

production of Twelfth Night. (Photo by Annamae Photo.)

12

VISIT US ONLINE AT ASOLOREP.ORG/EDUCATION

UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES AT ASOLO REP Asolo Rep’s New Stages Tour is made possible, in part, by the following:

MAJOR DONORS ($5000+)AnonymousAsolo Repertory Theatre GuildCharles and Margery BarancikDavid and Betty-Jean BavarCordelia Lee Beattie FoundationMandell and Madeleine Berman FoundationSusan and Jim BuckMargot and Warren CovilleLinnie E. Dalbeck Memorial Foundation TrustAndrew R. Ferrell FoundationLeslie GlassLarry and Debbie HaspelPamela HughesJudy Zuckerberg and George Kole

FRIENDS OF EDUCATION ($1000+)Peggy and Ken AbtBob and Pat BaerWalton and Deborah BeachamJennie BranaganTom and Ann ChartersKathy ColeGeorge and Diane DavisSusan DweckHerman and Sharon FrankelJelks Family FoundationRon LegereCarolyn Keystone and Jim MeekisonMelvy Erman LewisJohn and Elenor MaxheimJonathan and Cynthia McCagueMelanie and Sean NatarajanAnna Nekoranec and Bengt NiebuhrPlantation Community FoundationMaurice Richards and Jack KeslerLaurence SaslawTed and Mary Ann SimonRonald Taub* and Marcia Jean TaubLeon and Marysue WechslerStephen V. Wilberding and Teri A HansenZ Foundation

FRIENDS OF EDUCATION ($500+)Richard and Noreen AckermanRichard and Pat AndersonMichael Donald EdwardsStephen and Maureen HornCharles KnowlesRandy and Susan MallitzMolly SchechterMichelle SenglaubEd and Mary Lou Winnick

*in memoriam

Shakespeare Family Series: Family-friendly Twelfth Night performances are preceded by a warm-up and introduction to the play, and followed by a meet and greet with the cast.

Shakespeare in the Gardens Saturday, October 24, 1pm Marie Selby Botanical GardensReservation recommended: Selby.org

Shakespeare Under the Stars Saturday, November 14, noon Bishop Planetarium at South Florida MuseumReservation recommended: SouthFloridaMuseum.org

Shakespeare at Bay PreserveSunday, November 22, 3pm Conservation Foundation of the Gulf CoastReservation required: 941-918-2100, www.ConservationFoundation.com

Arts Journalism application deadline: Selected students in grades 9-12 gain behind-the-scenes access to the worlds of professional theatre and arts reporting with Sarasota Herald-Tribune theatre critic Jay Handelman and artists and staff from Asolo Rep.

November 30 at midnightInformation and application available: asolorep.org/education/student-journalism

West Side Story music video shoot: Learn simple movement to this musical’s famous songs, and perform alongside members of our cast with your neighbors, family, and friends!

Saturday, December 5, noon-1pm Free, RSVP requested education@asolo.org or 941-351-9010 ext. 3307

Family Day at West Side Story: An affordable way to see this classic American musical, with special activities to show how magic is made at Asolo Rep.

Saturday, December 5, pre-show activities begin at 1pm, 2pm matinee Four tickets for the price of one; call box office for ticket package detailsBox office: 941-351-8000 or tickets.asolorep.org

Career Night: We welcome students, educators, and parents for a backstage tour of Asolo Rep, followed by a panel discussion with representatives from the many different departments of our robust regional theatre.

Friday, February 5, 5:30-7:30pm Free, by reservation onlyeducation@asolo.org or 941-351-9010 ext. 3307

Education & Outreach at Asolo Repasolorep.org/educationeducation@asolo.org941-351-9010 ext. 3307

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