Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" Features Emmy Award-Winning Talent

DANVILLE, CA — The Bard is headed to Danville this summer. The town has collaborated with SPARC Theater to put on performances of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” a 1601 romantic comedy of errors about mistaken identities in the wake of a shipwreck. SPARC’s performance will be set in post Civil War America.

“One of the great things about Shakespeare is that it’s now traditional to explore and interpret the text in a way that’s more accessible to your audience no matter where you are in the world,” director Lisa Tromovitch said in a statement. “We set ours in post Civil War America, in the north, with all of the fun accents of the many people who would have come to The New World, and the sense of both loss and celebration that comes post war. As a comedy, of course, it focuses on love, silliness, and moving on.“

The cast and crew bring a wealth of talent. Scenic Designer Malcolm Rodgers has won three Emmy’s. Cast member Li-Leng Au recently returned from a stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company in London, and is a member of the British Actors’ Equity Association. Cast members Elena Wright and Cassidy Brown are both members of the Actors’ Equity Association, hold MFAs in theater, and have performed leading roles in a number of local theaters, including TheatreWorks, CalShakes, Berkeley Rep, and Center Rep.

Performances are scheduled on weekends from Aug. 9 to Aug. 25 at the Village Theatre. Shows are scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. The play runs about two hours and twenty minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. It was adapted for modern audiences by Jennifer Le Blanc, directed by Lisa A. Tromovitch, and is suitable for viewers 12 and older.

Visit sparctheater.org to learn more about the show, cast, crew, and the SPARC Theater, which was honored three years in a row as the East Bay’s “Best Live Theater” by East Bay Times readers.

See here to purchase tickets. For more information, contact Performing Arts Program Coordinator John Dunn at jdunn@danville.ca.gov or 925-314-3418.