Review: Synetic Theater Brings Back a TWELFTH NIGHT to Remember

Originally earning 11 Helen Hayes nominations and audience acclaim in 2014, Synetic Theater's silent 1920s-style take on TWELFTH NIGHT is re-staged this season - which is not a moment too soon. In a winning blend of quirky vintage comedy and surprising emotional depth, this production manages to reinvent Shakespeare in a way that's so energetic, it could never be called tired.

For those unfamiliar with the classic tale or just intimidated at the thought of dialogue-free Shakespeare, Synetic provides a complete synopsis at the front of its program. In short, the twin brother-sister duo of Viola and Sebastian is broken up by a disastrous shipwreck. Viola washes onto shore in a strange place and mistakenly believes her beloved brother to be drowned. She ends up disguising herself as a man and trying to help Duke Orsino win the heart of the indifferent Lady Olivia. Of course, this results in a love triangle that only grows more complicated as more characters are thrown in.

We've seen this gender-bending setup many times, from highbrow Shakespeare productions to loose modern adaptations including She's the Man. But thanks to its innovative staging and gifted ensemble, this Paata Tsikurishvili-directed TWELFTH NIGHT iteration is by far one of the most original and effective ones you could choose to see.

The entire talented ensemble keeps up a frenetic pace with ease and remarkable stamina, dancing the jitterbug and the Charleston to classic recorded jazz tunes. The Gatsby-esque glamour (costumes by Kendra Rai) and drunken excess are true to the soul of the original tale and serve to highlight Viola's singular strength and solidity by contrast.

Choreographer and Synetic co-founder Irina Tsikurishvili is Viola, the magnetic heart of the story. A joy to watch, she embodies a Charlie Chaplin-esque "Tramp" character, complete with a faux mustache. Matching her engaging energy are Alex Mills as her twin Sebastian, Philip Fletcher as her love interest Orsino, Kathy Gordon as narcissistic Olivia, and Irakli Kavsadze as Olivia's droll butler Malvolio. Supporting actors Dallas Tolentino, Irina Kavsadze, and Scott Brown are vibrant and beguiling as they stir up ridiculous hijinks and sometimes-dark humor. All have marvelously expressive faces, conveying the comedic and emotional sides of their respective characters without a word.

Clowns Feste (Zana Gankhuyag) and Fabian (Vato Tsikurishvili) guide the audience through the process of committing the proceedings to film. They continuously produce the tale in black-and-white on an old Hollywood soundstage, placing lights and cameras, and maneuvering reels of film. A few Shakespeare quotes are worked in via projections recalling real silent films: "If music be the food of love, play on!"

The choreography, technical direction (Phil Charlwood), projections (Igor Dimity), and inspired lighting design (Colin K. Bills) come together in clever tricks of the eye and an all-encompassing Roaring Twenties atmosphere. One example in the very beginning is the portrayal of the storm at sea: the ensemble reels and stumbles, lightning flashes, and the clowns plunge a model ship into an aquarium, splashing and tossing it in an exaggerated way. The scene is concurrently tragic and funny in its homage to old films - it works beautifully.

Complex and layered, TWELFTH NIGHT is visual feast with a timeless emotional center that amounts to more than meets the eye.

Running time: approximately 1 hour 40 minutes without an intermission.

TWELFTH NIGHT plays through August 7, 2016, at Synetic Theater, 1800 S. Bell St. in Crystal City, Arlington, VA 22202. Tickets can be purchased on synetictheater.org or by calling 866-811-4111.

Photo: Irina Tsikurishvili as Viola; courtesy of Synetic Theater.

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