TWELFTH NIGHT to be Presented at USC Theatre in April

The USC Dept. of Theatre and Dance will present Shakespeare's beloved comedy Twelfth Night April 11-18 at Drayton Hall Theatre.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with additional 3 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13.  Admission is $15 for students, $20 for USC faculty/staff, military, and seniors 60+, and $22 for the public. 

A comic love triangle for the ages, Twelfth Night is a madcap tale of mistaken identity and unrequited love. Stranded by a shipwreck, twins Sebastian and Viola become separated on the island of Illyria. To survive, Viola disguises herself as a man (“Cesario”), so she can work for the Duke (Orsino), whom she's secretly fallen in love with. Orsino, however, has a thing for Lady Olivia, who quickly becomes smitten with Cesario. When Viola's long-lost brother shows up and is mistaken for Cesario, the love triangle becomes even more delightfully entangled.

Guest artist Carolyn Howarth has come to USC for the second time to direct the production, having last directed Romeo and Juliet at Longstreet Theatre in 2022. A veteran theatre professional, Howarth is one of the most respected directors of Shakespeare plays in the country, with extensive credits at esteemed venues such as Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, and Orlando Shakespeare Theatre.

“I dearly love Twelfth Night,” says Howarth. “It is by and large a comedy, but it comes from a place of grief and mourning. There's a lot of lovely human vulnerability in this play.”

Howarth says that this will mark her fourth time directing the play, which she has also performed in an additional four times, playing different roles each time. “I come at this play having been able to look at it from different characters' perspectives,” she says. “Every time I get to revisit it, I get excited about it.”

The director notes that none of the Twelfth Night productions she has previously been part of have looked the same, and this one is no different. The production's design combines costuming that offers a fanciful take on 18th-century style, scenic design with an aesthetic of modern elegance, and a soundtrack filled with jazz music.

“It's a world of our own making,” Howarth explains. “Fantastical, colorful, and whimsical.”

Cast in the production are graduate acting students Olan Domer, Didem Ruhi and Elaine Werren; undergraduate students Isnerys Carrasquillo, Maggie Davisson, Bradley Gittens, Sunni Greene, Paul Hommel, Kyleigh McComish, Angie Tamvaki, Asher Thompson, Carlos Turner and Parker Walsh; and guest artists Asaru Buffalo and Marshall Spann. Designers for the production are faculty members Erik Flatmo (scenic) and John Kiselica (sound), and graduate design students Cynthia Emekako (costume) and Victoria Rickards (lighting).

“Of all the Shakespeares, this is one of the most accessible to audiences,” Howarth says. “It's fun, funny, and sweet, and just a really good time in the theatre.” 

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