TN Shakespeare Co. to Present TWELFTH NIGHT in December

Tennessee Shakespeare Company (TSC) will bring the high comedy, beautiful songs, and delicate poetry of William Shakespeare's holiday celebration Twelfth Night to the newly-configured Tabor Stage December 6-22.

Directed by Stephanie Shine (Hamlet, The Importance of Being Earnest, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley) Twelfth Night is generously sponsored by Anne and Mike Keeney. 

Twelfth Night or What You Will, one of Shakespeare's ever-popular plays, embraces the merriment and joyous anticipation of pranks that occur during the festivities of historical 12th Night celebrations. It was a period of topsy-turvydom, where the King or Queen of the Revels set into motion the unexpected: genders were confused, roles were reversed, and as much good-spirited mischief as could be imagined was undertaken.

“In our production,” says Shine, “we are at a traditional 12th Night celebration when a storm erupts, and from its dregs we meet a shipwrecked young woman named Viola. Our modern world goes topsy-turvy as we find ourselves in the play that is Twelfth Night. Within poetic beauty and live music and song, we are transformed with the characters as they discover and reveal their true hearts, true loves, and true selves.”

Disguising herself as a young man named Cesario to gain employment with Duke Orsino, the shipwrecked Viola quickly becomes entangled in a complex web of love and mistaken identities in Illyria on the Adriatic Sea. Orsino is in love with Lady Olivia, who, in turn, falls for Cesario. And of course, Viola has secretly fallen for Orsino. As the unfortunate love triangle unfolds, Olivia's comedic household devolves amidst drunken revelry and spite-driven chaos. 

“A play that begins with so much grief finds joy in reconciliation, both physical and spiritual,” adds Shine. “Always forgiveness and compassion find a way to lead us back to our present day with the renewed hope of the Winter Solstice with its promise of Spring.”

Serving as a bridge between Shakespeare's 12th Night celebrations and our modern Christmas festivities, TSC audiences will enjoy Dickensian carolers in the lobby to warm up into cheerful, holiday mood, hosted by our Master of the Revels.  Audiences will then enter the surprising world of Illyria on the new Tabor Stage.

The cast returns Erin Amlicke as Viola (The Importance of Being Earnest) to the Tabor Stage and welcomes newcomers Tim Gouran as Malvolio and Robby Matlock as Orsino. TSC veterans Lauren Gunn (Olivia), Michael Khanlarian (Toby Belch), Marquis Dijon Archuleta (Aguecheek) also return, as well as TSC's Classical Theatre Apprentice Company: Fiona Byrne, Andrew Christenson, Jonathan Dimas, Baxter Konstans, Jacqueline Nunweiler, and Christine Strong.

The design team includes Jeremy Allen Fisher (Lighting), Melanie Mulder (Props), Roger Hanna (Scenic), Jason Eschhofen (Music), and Janice Benning Lacek (Costumes). The production stage manager is Jasmine Simmers, and the assistant stage manager is Andrew Christenson.

Twelfth Night's discounted Preview performance ($22 tickets) is Friday, December 6 at 7:30 pm. Opening night is Saturday, December 7 at 7:30 pm, which includes a complimentary post-show reception with the actors. Subsequent performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm, and on Sundays at 3:00 pm through December 22. 

Friday performances on December 6, 13, and 20 are Free Will Kids' Nights when up to four children 17 years and younger may attend for FREE when accompanied by at least one, full-price-paying Adult Guardian.

Artistic and Production Bios

Erin Amlicke (Viola) TSC: The Importance of Being Earnest. Recent credits: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Frankenstein (Greenbrier Valley Theatre); Vietato dare da mangiare (Paper Architects Collective), The Cherry Orchard (Burning Coal Theatre Company); The Comedy of Errors, Amphitryon, Antony & Cleopatra, Lysistrata (Theatre at Monmouth), The Revolutionists (Hangar Theatre), King Lear (The Brick), Boston Marriage (Smart Mouth Theatre). In September, Erin premiered her bilingual solo show, Kingdom Come, in Lima, Peru. She is a '23-'24 Deceleration Lab Artist with The Assembly Theater and a graduate of the University of Houston with her MFA in Acting. @erinamlyes / erinamlicke.com

Marquis Dijon Archuleta (Sir Andrew Aguecheek) TSC: Caesar in the Free Shout-Out Shakespeare Series production of Julius Caesar, and Laertes in Hamlet. He is also a Master Teacher in The Romeo & Juliet Project. Acting: Sweeney Todd in Cutler Bros. Theater's production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Fiona Byrne (Curio/caroler/female swing) TSC: The Comedy of Errors (Luciana). Other recent credits: How to Know the Wild Flowers:A Map, Selkie:Between Land and Sea, The Beau Defeated, Theory of Relativity. Fiona is a graduate of Northwestern University with a B.A. in Theatre and English.

Andrew Christenson (Fabian/Valentine; Asst. Stage Manager) TSC: The Comedy of Errors (Asst. Stage Manager; messenger). Other performance credits: Escanaba in Da Moonlight, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Little Women, The Seagull, Miracle on 34th Street, Annie Get Your Gun. Stage management: Emerge 360, Silent Sky, Murder Ballad, Emerge Student Dance Concert. Andrew is a local Memphian and a recent University of Memphis graduate, earning a B.F.A. in Theatre with a concentration in Performance.

Jonathan Dimas (Feste) TSC: The Comedy of Errors (Egeon/Pinch's assistant). He has worked with the 52nd Street Project from Hell's Kitchen, NYC. Other credits: PSJA North High School, Zoot Suit (the first permitted performance from writer Luis Valdez); University of Texas Pan American: Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, Evil Dead: The Musical, and Death and the Maiden; University of Evansville: Julius Caesar and Book of Days. He graduated from the University of Texas Pan-American in 2009 after attending the University of Evansville. 

Jason Eschhofen (Composer/Sound Designer) (he/him/his) TSC: The Importance of Being Earnest (sound design), Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley (sound design), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Flute/Thisby). Other credits: Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (music direction), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (music direction), Ruthless! The Musical (music direction), The Crucible (sound design), Days of Rage (sound design), and Murder for Two (Marcus Moscowicz, co-music direction, sound design). Jason has a B.A. in Studio Recording Technology from Bowling Green State University, and a M.M. in Voice Performance from the University of Memphis.

Jeremy Allen Fisher (Production Manager; Technical Director; Lighting Designer) has been with TSC since 2013, designing 30+ productions. An 18-year veteran in the entertainment business with multiple degrees and certifications, Jeremy is a member of Local USA 829 United Scenic Artists with experience in all aspects of lighting. Founding his design firm in 2019, he has worked on projects of all sizes across the country. He is the Resident Lighting Designer for Opera Memphis and Youngblood Studio. He recently redesigned Ballet Memphis' annual production of Nutcracker and completed several major public art installations at St. Jude Children's Hospital, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, and Oregon State University. Since moving to Memphis in 2011, Jeremy has completed 200+ lighting designs in the city, been nominated for 12 Ostrander Awards with four wins, and in 2017 was awarded the TAC Individual Artist Award for his work in Lighting Design.

Tim Gouran (Malvolio) (he/him) is a Seattle-based actor and has performed with many Seattle theatres, including Seattle Repertory, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, Intiman Theatre, Seattle Children's Theatre, New City Theater, Washington Ensemble Theatre, Theatre22, and Azeotrope Theatre. He got his start with The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. He has appeared in several movies and TV episodes, and has performed many voice-overs for radio and video games.

Lauren Gunn (Olivia) TSC: The Comedy of Errors, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Tempest, Cyrano de Bergerac, Macbeth, Henry VI, Romeo and Juliet, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Ada and the Engine. Southern Arena Theatre: Boeing Boeing, I Hate Hamlet. New Stage Theatre: Constellations, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Crimes of the Heart, A Christmas Carol, Cat in the Hat. Fish Tale Group Theatre: Voice of Freedom Summer. Lauren is delighted and honored to continue serving military Veterans at the Memphis V.A. Medical Center with TSC's Feast of Crispian-South program. She is a member and associate instructor with Dueling Arts International. Education: University of Southern Mississippi (M.F.A.).

Roger Hanna (Scenic Designer) TSC: The Importance of Being Earnest, A Streetcar Named Desire, Hamlet, The Glass Menagerie, and The Tempest.  He has designed sets for theatre, opera, and dance in Japan, Israel, and across the U.S., including over 150 productions in NYC. Collaborators include Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz, MacArthur “Genius” Susan Marshall, and 10-time Tony-winner Tommy Tune. Awards include a Lortel Award, two Drama Desk nominations, and a True West Award from the DCPA. As an educator, Roger has taught and designed at major schools including Manhattan and Mannes Schools of Music, NYU, and Yale. He is currently the Head of Set Design at Colorado State University.

Michael Khanlarian (Sir Toby Belch/Master of the Revels) is a self-described passionate actor and teaching-artist in Memphis. He holds a degree in Theatre Performance from the University of Memphis, where his love for theatre began. As a founding member of TSC, Michael has been instrumental in bringing the arts to various communities across the Mid-South. He is also an ensemble member of Playback Memphis and a teaching-artist for the Orpheum, continually sharing his skills and passion for the performing arts.

Baxter Konstans (Sebastian) TSC: The Comedy of Errors (Dr. Pinch/First Merchant). Illinois performance credits at Wesleyan University: True West, Much Ado About Nothing, The Exception and the Rule, Brilliant Traces, and Mauritius. This is his first season with TSC. Baxter graduated with an B.F.A. in Acting in 2024 from Illinois Wesleyan University, where he was given the opportunity to study classical pieces and comedy-writing.

Janice Benning Lacek (Costume Designer) TSC: Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night (2014), Two Gentlemen of Verona, Romeo & Juliet Project (2018), and makeup design for The Tempest (2012). Regional/national/international highlights include projects with La Jolla Playhouse, A.C.T. in San Francisco, Syracuse Stage, San Diego Rep, American University of Cairo, Egypt, and over 36 productions of Shakespeare across the United States. Janice has taught costume and theatre production at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Kenyon College, and the University of Memphis. She lives in Colorado, where she an associate professor at the University of Denver.

Robby Matlock (Orsino) Regional credits: A Midsummer Night's Dream (Demetrius), Urinetown (Bobby Strong), Julius Caesar (Brutus), Love's Labor's Lost (King), Romeo and Juliet (Tybalt), Shakespeare in Love (Henslowe), The Diviners (CC Showers), Robin Hood: A Musical Celebration (Robin Hood). Robby received his M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Houston and B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from Belmont University. 

Melanie Mulder (Properties Designer) TSC: The Comedy of Errors, The Importance of Being Earnest, A Streetcar Named Desire, Hamlet, Ada and the Engine, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Additional credits: The Color Purple, Jelly's Last Jam, A Song for Coretta, Ruined, In the Heights, and Once on This Island at Hattiloo Theatre. Melanie has served as Props Designer on productions for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Seaside Music Theatre (FL), Vineyard Theatre, Pearl Theatre, the New School for Drama, and The Signature Theatre (all NYC), Williamstown Theatre Festival (MA), Lake George Opera (NY), and Northern Stage (VT). Melanie is a native Memphian and received her B.F.A. in Theatre from the University of Memphis.

Jacqueline Nunweiler (Maria/caroler) TSC: The Comedy of Errors (Emilia/Pinch Assistant). East Carolina University: The Winter's Tale, Pride and Prejudice, Intimate Apparel, Romeo & Juliet, and The Visit. Other credits: ‘night Mother, Macbeth, and Tartuffe. Jacqueline is a graduate of East Carolina University's School of Theatre & Dance program with a B.F.A. in Acting and a minor in Costume Design.

Stephanie Shine (Director) In 14 seasons with TSC directorial credits include Hamlet, The Importance of Being Earnest, Emily Dickinson: I Dwell in Possibility, which she co-created with Denice Hicks, Henry VI: Wars of the Roses, Macbeth, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Julius Caesar, It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Southern Yuletide, Shakespeare's Greatest Hits, Shake(s), Rattle, and Roll, Shakespeare Said It, Lend Me Thy Sword, 12 productions of Romeo and Juliet, and 15 Literary Salons. On stage at TSC, she played the Abbess in The Comedy of Errors, Countess in All's Well That Ends Well, the female roles in Unto the Breach, and Gertrude in Hamlet. Prior to joining TSC, she was Artistic Director of Seattle Shakespeare Company, a position she enjoyed for 13 years. Other directorial credits include King Lear and As You Like It for Houston Shakespeare Festival, The Taming of the Shrew and The Comedy of Errors for Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the award-winning one-woman internationally-touring Marilyn Monroe Biopic, Marilyn: Forever Blonde, and several new works for Seattle's Book-It Repertory Theatre. Her production of I am of Ireland (which she also conceived and adapted) opened Book-It's 25th Anniversary Season in 2014. As an actor, she has performed with the Oregon Shakespearean Festival, NYC's Theatre for a New Audience, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Alley Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, ACT, The Empty Space, and Seattle Children's Theatre, among others. Roles include Juliet, Rosalind, Lady Macbeth, Beatrice, Regan, Feste, Kate, Bianca, Dionyza, the Princess of France, Hero, Perdita, and the Chorus in Henry V. The Germantown Arts Alliance honored her with its 2016 Distinguished Arts and Humanities Medal for Performing Arts. She is the mother of four exceptional people: Conor, Cahilan, Sullivan, and Collins. Education: graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts; B.F.A in Acting from the University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program; M.F.A. in Directing from the University of Memphis.

Jasmine Simmers (Production Stage Manager) TSC: Stage Manager for Hamlet, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Macbeth Initiative, and Assistant Stage Manager for The Tempest. Other credits include La Bohème, The Rocky Horror Show, Back When Mike Was Kate, The Forever Question, and Le Nozze di Figaro. She holds a B.F.A. in Theatre, Design, and Technology from the University of Memphis.

Christine Strong (Captain/Antonia/caroler) TSC: The Comedy of Errors (Adriana). Other credits include Marian: or The True Tale of Robin Hood, Baltimore, Henry V, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and Fefu and Her Friends. Christine is a graduate of Emerson College's Acting program with a B.F.A.

About Tennessee Shakespeare Company

Tennessee Shakespeare Company is a professional, not-for-profit theatre and education organization in Memphis dedicated to live, diverse performances of William Shakespeare's plays, as well as works of social significance by classical, Southern, and modern writers; and to providing innovative educational, training, and outreach programming in-person and online.

Founded in 2008 by Producing Artistic Director Dan McCleary, Tennessee Shakespeare Company is Memphis' first and only professional, classical theatre. In 2017, TSC purchased its first performing arts facility, which is the state's only permanent home for professional, year-round Shakespeare performance, education, outreach, and training. 

TSC has engaged its community with over 70 site-specific plays and events for nearly 60,000 patrons. Its ground-breaking Education Program has reached 130 schools across nine states, totaling over 300,000 student interactions. The Program has achieved a high regional and national profile, partners annually with most local school systems, the Memphis V.A. Medical Center, the Memphis juvenile justice system, and this year is a recipient once again of the National Endowment for the Arts/Arts Midwest's Shakespeare in American Communities grant for The Macbeth Initiative in local high schools.

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