COPA to perform comedic, modern take on ‘Twelfth Night, or What You Will’
After a four week stretch of rehearsals, Chapman’s College of Performing Arts (COPA) will perform their Shakespeare reimagining, “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” on Feb. 15-17 for their department show in Musco Hall. Photo courtesy of Tamiko Washington
Imagine a world in which William Shakespeare was born in the Roaring Twenties and not England. Romeo and Juliet would live in New York, one coming from a family of devoted Yankees fans, the other a houseful of White Sox diehards. Macbeth would receive a prophecy about becoming the next president of the United States.
Director Tamiko Washington told The Panther about her own vision for Mr. Shakespeare in the ‘20s which she brings to life in COPA’s rendition of “Twelfth Night, or What You Will.”
“I set it in the roaring 20s because of the nature of the show and how it’s written, which coincides really well with that era, particularly the idea of the new woman in the 1920s. (It was) so prevalent — the idea of breaking away from the traditional set of ideals of what a woman is in the 1920s.”
The show follows a love triangle between Orsino, Olivia and Cesario. Orsino, a duke, is in love with Olivia, a beautiful lady at the center of attention, but she's mourning for her dead brother; so far, she has rejected his advances. He sends Cesario (who is really a girl named Viola) with love letters to woo Olivia on his behalf. Unfortunately, Olivia is taken in by Cesario's disguise and falls in love with him (well, her) instead.
Performances of “Twelfth Night, or What You Will” will take place in Musco Hall from Feb 15-17. All three days will have a performance at 7:30 p.m., while Feb. 17 will have an additional performance at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $10 for those with a Chapman ID and $20 without. Tickets can be purchased on the Chapman ticketing website here.
Senior theater performance major Sydney Feldman plays Valentina, a guard and trusty sidekick of Orsino. In this Roaring Twenties rendition, Feldman sports a flapper dress and noisy heels, making for a fun twist on the character.
With the performance dates just around the corner, Feldman has taken it upon herself to be a motivator during rehearsals, ensuring her fellow cast members are confident come opening night.
“As a senior, it's been a lot of boosting morale and getting everyone excited and keeping the energy high,” Feldman told The Panther. “(I have been) showing up to rehearsals with a positive attitude and having fun because it's a really fun show and (it) reminds everyone to have fun and just work hard.”
As the director, Washington has watched the show come to life, from the original ideas she had after reading the script to final performance notes the week leading up to the show. But through it all, the best part of putting on a show for Washington has been the collaboration.
“I think theater is a very collaborative art. It's a performance art form,” Washington said. “So theater is a performance art form that you can't do without collaborators, and collaborators are your design team and your actors. And it's just incredible. You can't do it alone.”
From an actor’s point of view, Feldman knows all too well the self-doubt a cast may face leading up to the big day. But for seasoned actors, like those in “Twelfth Night, or What You Will,” they just have to remind themselves that they know the show, they’ve been in this position before, and it always comes together in the end.
“I think if we just really stay connected with each other and that element of trust, I think (it) is so important,” Feldman said. “It's not an individual thing, performing in theater. It's really a group effort, so we have to continue maintaining that trusting connection among the cast.”
Whether audiences dabble in Shakespeare or have only seen “Gnomeo and Juliet,” Feldman encourages people to just come and enjoy a show full of trickery, deception and miscommunication that all lends a hand in creating a very funny production.
“I think a lot of times, especially for non-theater people, Shakespeare can feel really foreign. But I think the way that Professor Washington decided to set the show in the ‘20s is a great example of how the story is really timeless and it could be set today. It could be set 100 years ago. It could be set 200 years ago, etc. I think I really want audiences to leave feeling like Shakespeare’s story is timeless.”
