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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">GLTF’s ‘Twelfth
Night’ places fun at forefront<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Bob
Abelman<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">News-Herald,
Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times
Courier<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Member,
International Association of Theatre Critics <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center"
align=center><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">This
review appeared in the <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">News-Herald
</I>10/16/09</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Disguise
and mistaken identity are favorite subterfuges in Shakespeare’s comedies. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>T</SPAN></STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">he
differences between outer appearance and inner reality drive the storylines and
inspire much of humor in <I>The Comedy of Errors</I>, <I>The Merchant of
Venice</I> and <I>As You Like It</I><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic">,
among others</SPAN>. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">In
</SPAN></STRONG><I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Twelfth
Night</SPAN></I><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">,
currently in production by the Great Lakes Theater Festival at the Hanna
Theatre, mistaken identity is the sole impetus behind the action and the
comedy.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">A
pair of twins, brother Sebastian and sister Viola, are separated by a shipwreck
and carry on their lives thinking the other dead.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Living in the coastal city of Illyria,
Viola disguises herself as a man for protection and, calling herself Cesario,
finds employment with the Duke of Illyria, with whom she secretly falls in
love.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Duke is in love with the
Countess Olivia, and sends the cross-dressing Viola to woo her on his
behalf.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The guarded Countess allows
herself to fall in love with the disguised Viola.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When Sebastian happens into town, he is
mistaken for Viola, is bedded by the Countess and then wed.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Viola, in turn, is thought to be her
brother.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">During
the preview night production, mistaken identity took on new dimension when the
actress playing Viola, Sara Bruner, succumbed to a back injury and Emily Leonard
went on in her place.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>With script
firmly in hand, Leonard--listed in the playbill as a dancer--played Bruner
playing Viola disguised as Cesario being mistaken for Sebastian.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Shakespeare would have been pleased.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
audience certainly was.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Despite the
short notice, Leonard was a trouper and delivered a viable Viola, managing to
deliver her lines with meaning, maintain the frantic pace of this high-energy
production and, most importantly, stay out of the way of the other
performers.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">All
this was facilitated by director Charles Fee’s vision for this production.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I>Twelfth Night’s</I> numerous subplots
provide ample doses of both comedy and melancholy, allowing directors to balance
the two or opt to go with one over the other.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>GLTF’s tendency—indeed, its
reputation—is to go for the funny, and Fee embraces this big time in <I>Twelfth
Night</I>. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">The
impeccable comic timing and full-forward momentum that veteran cast members
Andrew May, David Anthony Smith, and Ian Gould bring to the table easily
overshadow the awkward presence of an understudy.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">As
the Countess’s cousin Sir Toby Belch and his moneyed drinking buddy Sir Andrew
Aguecheek, May and Gould are given free rein to excavate all the comedy in the
play and milk it for all its worth.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>Their broad delivery and absolute comfort with Shakespeare’s prose give
rise to brilliant moments.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Smith
as Malvolio, the self-impressed servant to the Countess who foolheartedly
believes he can rise above his station and win her hand, is hilarious.
Throughout the play, Malvolio is subjected to cruel ridicule by Belch, Aguecheek
and fellow servants Fabian and Maria, played wonderfully by M.A. Taylor and
Laura Perrotta.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Smith’s Malvolio is
marvelously oblivious to their maliciousness and, thus, easy prey.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His reading of a letter of seduction
supposedly written by the Countess but actually penned by Maria is
priceless.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">Keeping
pace with these oversized performances are Eduardo Placer as Feste the fool and
Kevin Crouch as Sebastian.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Lost in
their dust is Jonas Cohen, as an overly subdued Duke, and Jodi Dominick, who’s
portrayal of the Countess is a work in progress.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">A
penchant for comedy is just one element of GLTF’s reputation.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>So is spectacular staging, which is
firmly established in this production by scenic designer Gage Williams, costume
designer Star Moxley, sound designer Peter John Still and lighting designer Rick
Martin.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>They have created a
romantic, textured Mediterranean backdrop, rich with Persian influences.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Mistaken
identity is central to many of Shakespeare’s works, but there is no disguising
the fact that this GLTF production of </SPAN></STRONG><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">Twelfth
Night</SPAN></I><STRONG><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">,
with or without its featured actress (who has since returned), is a joy to
behold.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></STRONG></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'">“Twelfth Night”
continues in repertory with “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” through November 1 at
PlayhouseSquare’s Hanna Theatre.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>For tickets, which range from $15 to $59, call 216-241-6000 or visit
<B><A href=""><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal"><FONT
color=#0000ff>www.greatlakestheater.org</FONT></SPAN></A>.<o:p></o:p></B></SPAN></I></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>