Cappies Review: 'Twelfth Night' At Alexandria City High School

By Maisie Smith-Zoh of Oakton High School

A Shakespearean romantic comedy and 1990s pop culture may seem like an unusual combination, but Alexandria City High School pulled it off with commendable effort in their production of Twelfth Night.

Written at the turn of the 17th century, Twelfth Night is one of the Bard's most well-known comedies, ending with a "happily ever after" for most of the characters involved. It features twins, Viola (Georgia Anderson) and Sebastian (Jacob Perlman), who are shipwrecked and eventually make their way to the mainland without each other's knowledge. Viola disguises herself as a man, Cesario, which leads to the blossoming of a dramatic love triangle involving Orsino (Alena Sanchez), the lord Viola works for, and Countess Olivia (Aniah Thomas), whom he loves.

Alexandria City High School's cast showed admirable energy and enthusiasm for their roles. Each member demonstrated a strong grasp of Shakespeare's dialect of Early Modern English, which contrasted effectively with the unique 1990s setting pursued by the creative team.

The lead performers in Twelfth Night commanded the audience's attention fabulously. Georgia Anderson masterfully approached the role of Viola with all the versatility and characterization necessary for such a faceted, dynamic character. Anderson's performance displayed a notable understanding of the text, crafting a striking persona in Viola's disguise as Cesario. Aniah Thomas as Olivia excellently utilized poise and physicality to provide a comedic foil to the mannerisms of other characters.

The production was truly anchored by the verve and comedic timing of the amusing cast of supporting characters that made the audience roar with laughter and applause. Particularly outstanding was the trio of Sir Toby Belch (Lucy Hunnicutt), Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Tess Clarke), and the Clown (Kit Vontz). The actors had exceptional chemistry every time they sauntered across the stage together and used terrific projection and energy to overcome microphone issues. The Clown's performances of Shakespearean lyrics set to popular 1990s tunes, endearingly backed up by Toby and Andrew's era-specific dance moves, added an eccentric spunk that defined the show's distinctive choice of time period. Christos Pethokoukis's performance as Malvolio was equally engaging and humorous, especially during Malvolio's comical entrance in a uniquely 1990s costume featuring some "rad" neon yellow tights.

Rauidhri Schiefelbein and Alexis Morrison's simple yet effective costumes added necessary context of the show's time period. The Clown's brightly-colored knitted hat was a charming addition to a costume that nicely emulated the character's personality. The production's sound, although challenged by difficulties with microphones, compellingly used ambient and background sound effects and music to add to the show. The set (by Alexis Morrison) consisted of a beautifully constructed rotating house piece with stairs that were primarily used for entrances and exits.

Overall, Alexandria City High School's production of Twelfth Night showed remarkable effort and enthusiasm, and an effective interpretation of Shakespearean language. The cast and crew's passion for the production was evident, leaving audiences wowed by the strong characterization and technical prowess presented. "Play on," Twelfth Night!