TWELFTH NIGHT Comes to Palo Alto Players in June

Palo Alto Players concludes its 91st season with a new adaptation of William Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT. This classic tale of mistaken identity has been reimagined by local actor and playwright Max Tachis and set against the backdrop of 1920s Coney Island.

Directed by Bay Area actress and Gunn High School alum Roneet Aliza Rahamim, TWELFTH NIGHT features a cast of twenty Bay Area actors, integrating the talents of Gunn High School staff and alumni, to create a truly local theatre experience.

TWELFTH NIGHT runs for 11 in-person performances June 10-26, 2022 at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, with a recording of the performance streaming on-demand June 23-26. In person tickets ($10-$57) and on-demand streaming access ($20 per household) are on sale now at paplayers.org or by phone at 650.329.0891. Current information regarding Palo Alto Players' COVID policies can be found at paplayers.org/covid-19.

Palo Alto Players offers up a new take on Shakespeare's comedy TWELFTH NIGHT set in 1920s Coney Island where the music plays and the laughter flows. Orsino loves Olivia (who won't give him the time of day). Olivia loves Viola (whom she thinks is a boy). Viola loves Orsino (who doesn't know she's a girl). Malvolio loves being in love; and Sir Andrew, Toby Belch, and Maria love life to its fullest. It's all rollicking confusion, but these hilarious characters do, at last, find love where they least expect it, in one of the Bard's true comic masterpieces.

"Palo Alto Players is thrilled to welcome back our friends from the Gunn community to present one of Shakespeare's most loved comedies," said Palo Alto Players Artistic Director Patrick Klein. "TWELFTH NIGHT is everything you love about Shakespeare and this all-new swanky adaptation by our friend Max Tachis is being skillfully crafted by our amazing director Roneet Aliza Rahamim. With this much talent in the room it will be impossible to walk away without a smile!"

TWELFTH NIGHT is directed by Roneet Aliza Rahamim, a theatre artist based in the Bay Area. Audiences have seen her on Palo Alto Players' stage in The Diary of Anne Frank (Anne) where she received the Theatre Bay Area award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Principal Role in a Play, The Laramie Project (Romain Patterson/Zubaida Ula/etc), and The Man Who Came To Dinner (Ms. Preen). She has directed for Foothill Theater Department (12 Angry Women) and Los Altos Stage Company (Fully Committed) and is a resident artist with Golden Thread Productions.

Roneet Aliza Rahamim directs a cast of twenty local Bay Area actors, predominantly Gunn High School staff and alumni. The cast of Palo Alto Players' TWELFTH NIGHT includes:

Viola: Emily Scott

Duke Orsino: Chris Mahle

Olivia: Kristen Lo

Maria: Gay Penter Richard

Sir Toby Belch: Tim Farrell

Sir Andrew Aguecheek: Paul Dunlap

Malvolio: Jim Shelby

Sebastian: Brian Flegel

Antonio: Shayan Hooshmand

Olivia's Attendant/Ensemble: Joelle Wagner

Captain/Priest/Carnival Barker/Bartender: Jonathan Amores

Valentina/Bouncer/Officer 1: Jen Ellington

Curio/Jazz Band Leader (Piano)/Officer 2: Henry Alper

Band (Saxophone)/Vendor: Caitlin Gjerdrum

Band (Saxophone)/Ensemble: Caroline Hodson

Band (Bass)/Ensemble: Charlotte Dunlap

Band (Trombone)/Ensemble: Joey Loeb

Band (Drums)/Ensemble: Aidan Roessig

Ensemble: Sam Putney

Ensemble: Sydney Cook

The TWELFTH NIGHT creative team also includes music direction by Todd Summers, set and prop design by Scott Ludwig, lighting design by Ben Hemmen, and costume design by Brooke Jennings.

Tickets for TWELFTH NIGHT can be purchased online at paplayers.org, by phone at 650.329.0891, or by visiting the Box Office (Tuesday through Friday, 11am - 4pm) at the Lucie Stern Theater, located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. In-person performances at the Lucie Stern Theater begin on June 11 and continue through June 26, with a preview on June 10. In-person performance times are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm. At this time, masks and proof of vaccination (or negative COVID test within 72 hours for those medically exempt from or ineligible to receive the vaccine) are required to attend in-person performances. Covid protocol is subject to change. A recording of the performance is available to stream on-demand ($20) June 23-26. This production is recommended for all ages.

Every ticket purchase directly supports the actors, creative team, and staff for this production, and ensures that Palo Alto Players can remain a vital part of this community. For more information about tickets and Palo Alto Players' current COVID health and safety policies, visit paplayers.org/event/TWELFTH NIGHT.

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