Photo Flash: First Look at Allen Nause, Michael Mendelson & More in Portland Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT

PORTLAND, OREGON | June 8, 2015 - Portland Shakespeare Project (PSP) brings William Shakespeare's romantic comedy Twelfth Night to summer season audiences directed by internationally-acclaimed actress and director Lisa Harrow. This delightful comedic caper features Artists Rep's former Artistic Director Allen Nause in the role of Feste and PSP Artistic Director Michael Mendelson as Orsino, along with a cast of familiar Portland actors. Playing on the Alder Stage at Artists Rep, Portland Shakes' Twelfth Night runs July 8 through August 2, 2015.

Giant storms sending the unsuspecting to an island, separated twins, absurd disguises, mistaken identities, baffling madness and a love triangle make Twelfth Night one of Shakespeare's most-loved plays. Twelfth Night follows the journey of Viola and Sebastian, twins separated by a shipwreck, as they encounter loss and love in their new homeland - the mythical, magical island of Illyria.

Portland Shakes is pleased to have Lisa Harrow return for their expanded fifth season as an Artist in Residence to direct this enchanting play. Last year, Harrow taught a widely-popular Portland Shakespeare Project Master Class and will teach two Master Classes again this season.

"What has struck me most is how many times the word "love" is spoken in Twelfth Night - 87 times," said Harrow about directing the play. "So to me, love in all its complications is the overriding theme. There's Orsino's, Malvolio's and Olivia's obsessive love; Antonio's, Maria's, Viola's and Aguecheek's hopeless love; and Sebastian's amazed love. The Christian festival of Twelfth Night is the night where the opposite rules, and so the whirlygig of time swirls them all into a spiral of misunderstanding and despair until the truth is finally revealed."

Portland Shakes' production of Twelfth Night will feature a Shakespeare-adept cast including: Luke Armstrong, Robert Bell, Dave Bodin, Orion Bradshaw, Jim Butterfield, Jacob Camp, John Corr, Heath Koerschgen, Kayla Lian, Crystal Munoz and Ithica Tell, as well as Allen Nause and Michael Mendelson.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE & TICKETS

Twelfth Night

By William Shakespeare

July 8 - August 2, 2015

Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday 2pm

Opening Night is Saturday, July 11

Tickets and information: www.portlandshakes.org or 503.241.1278

Performance venue: Artists Repertory Theatre, Alder Stage, 1516 SW Morrison St., Portland, Oregon

ABOUT LISA HARROW

Harrow's stage career began at the Royal Shakespeare Company where she played many leading roles, including Olivia in John Barton's production of Twelfth Night, and Portia in The Merchant of Venice opposite Sir Patrick Stewart. She has performed on stage throughout the US, including the role of Vivian Bearing in the Pulitzer Prize winning play Wit. And she was named 2001 Performer of the Year for her title performance in Medea at Pittsburg Public Playhouse. In 2013, Harrow directed King Lear to mark the 50th anniversary of the University of Auckland's Summer Shakespeare Series.

Her many television and film roles include Nancy Astor, the first woman to take her seat in the House of Commons, in the BBC drama Nancy Astor, which aired as part of the PBS series Masterpiece Theatre; and Helen Anderson in the film adaptation of James Herriot's book "All Creatures Great and Small," in which she starred alongside Anthony Hopkins and Simon Ward. She won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in The Last Days of Chez Nous, and also starred in the ABC television miniseries Come in Spinner.

ABOUT PORTLAND SHAKESPEARE PROJECT

Portland Shakespeare Project is a nonprofit theatre company in residence at Artists Repertory Theatre dedicated to educating, enriching and entertaining audiences by producing classical works and contemporary works associated with classical material. Since its founding in 2010 by Michael Mendelson and Karen Rathje, more than 4,000 people have enjoyed the company's productions of William Shakespeare's As You Like It, King Lear, The Taming of the Shrew and The Tempest.

Portland Shakespeare Project offers classes and educational programs for students, actors and audience members designed to raise proficiency, broaden knowledge and enrich understanding of classical material and contemporary works that honor the traditions of classical theatre.

Portland Shakespeare Project

Igniting a passion for the classics

www.portlandshakes.org

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