LaKecia Harris to Star as 'Viola' in Midsommer Flight's TWELFTH NIGHT; Cast Announced!

Midsommer Flight, a professional not-for-profit theatre company that was one of five Finalists for this year's League of Chicago Theatres Emerging Theatre Award, will stage Shakespeare's Twelfth Night for the third consecutive holiday season, complete with its acclaimed musical score.

The comedy will be performed in the Show House room at the Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 N. Stockton Drive, for three weekends - from November 30 - December 17, 2017.

The production is part of Mayor Rahm Emanuel's "Night Out in the Parks" initiative that provides world-class performances in Chicago's neighborhood parks throughout the year. Tickets are FREE but reservations are recommended due to limited seating - reservations will be available beginning October 9 through the Midsommer Flight website.

Company member Dylan S. Roberts will direct the comedy, believed to have been written by Shakespeare as an entertainment for the close of the Christmas season on the "twelfth night" after Christmas. One of the English traditions of that holiday is that roles can be reversed - such as commoners becoming royalty. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night plays upon those traditions. In his comedy, a woman, Viola, poses as a man - causing much romantic confusion; and a servant, Malvolio, imagines he can become a nobleman.

Roberts's cast will include LaKecia Harris (Viola), Kristin Hammargren (Olivia), Ian Michael Minh (Orsino), Elizabeth Rentfro (Feste), Amy Malcom (Malvolio), Julian Stroop (Sebastian), Jeremy Thompson (Sir Toby Belch), Samual Cheeseman (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Robin Waisanen (Maria), Joe Sergio (Antonio), Shaina Schrooten (Fabian/Duke's Attendant/Sailor), Anna Civik (Valentine/Sailor/Priest), Halie Merrill (Officer/Musician/Duke's attendant/sailor), Summer Hofford (Officer 2/Musician/Curio/Sea Captain).

Midsommer Flight's summer 2017 production of HAMLET, staged in four Chicago parks over eight weekends, earned universal acclaim from critics and broke the company's attendance records.

Reservations for TWELFTH NIGHT are recommended and are now being accepted at www.midsommerflight.com.

Dylan S. Roberts is an independent director living in Chicago. He is also is the Co-Founder of the Framework Theatre Collective. With the Framework he has adapted King Lear as a Radio Play and a modern retelling of Antigone, which he also directed. Dylan also directed 12th Night and The Marriage Proposal: A One Act in Three Acts with the collective. Other professional directing credits include the world premieres of Spores of Eden by Peter Axel Komistra, Unpronounceable by Karl Gfall and newly adapted versions of 12th Night and Oedipus the King for Two Weeks Productions. In addition Dylan has past worked at Metropolis Performing Arts Center where he directed Private Lives by Noel Coward and worked on A Christmas Carol for three years. He has also directed with Three Cat Productions on a number of new staged readings. Dylan has been a company member with Midsommer Flight since 2013. Along with directing he is also a text coach, having served in this position for productions of Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Hamlet and As You Like It. From 2011 to 2012 Dylan spent time as stage manager for Midwest New Musicals in Evanston. He is also a teaching artist, having worked for such companies as The Viola Project, Compass Creative Dramatics and Missoula Children's Theatre. Dylan proudly graduated with a degree in directing and theatre arts from the University of Wisconsin at Parkside.

IF YOU GO:
TWELFTH NIGHT, OR WHAT YOU WILL
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Dylan S. Roberts
Original Music by Elizabeth Rentfro and Alex Mauney
November 30 - December 17, 2017
Show House room at the Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 Stockton Dr., Chicago
Thursdays - Sundays @ 7:30 PM
Tickets are FREE but reservations are recommended due to limited seating - reservations will be available through the Midsommer Flight website (www.midsommerflight.com) beginning October 9.

Midsommer Flight is a theatre company dedicated to presenting high quality, accessible productions of Shakespeare's plays in Chicago communities. After the company's well-received inaugural production of A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2012, the Chicago City Council honored Midsommer Flight with a resolution praising "the Midsommer Flight theater troupe on their dedication to bringing the arts to underserved communities." The company incorporated as a not-for-profit in the state of Illinois in early 2013, and has since produced Romeo and Juliet (2013), Much Ado About Nothing (2014), Macbeth (2015), Twelfth Night (2015 and 2016), As You Like It (2016) and Hamlet (2017). All performances are presented free of charge (donations gratefully accepted). For more information visit www.midsommerflight.com.

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