Gamm Theatre’s ‘Twelfth Night’ is one you won’t want to miss
WARWICK — Directors Rachel Walshe and Tony Estrella have pulled out all the stops for their production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.”
Visually, it’s stunning, with an imaginative set and costumes. There is live music, and it’s lovely. Moreover, it’s safe to say there couldn’t be a funnier performance than this one. The directors have mined every ounce of humor in the Bard’s iambic pentameter without losing sight of the heartfelt moments. And the physical comedy has audiences gasping. To summarize: Wow! Paradoxically, the play starts out with sadness. There’s a shipwreck, and twins Viola and Sebastian are apparently lost at sea. Viola, however, washes up on the shores of Illyria where she disguises herself as a eunuch named Cesario to secure work as a page to the local ruler, Duke Orsino.
Awkwardly, she falls in love with her employer who, in turn, pines after Olivia, who wants nothing to do with him. That’s just the start of multiple love connections, requited and not.
This being Shakespeare, there are all manner of comic supporting characters, including the drunken Sir Toby Belch and the dimwitted Sir Andrew Aguecheek, as well as misguided subplots, including a plan hatched by the clever Maria, a servant in Olivia’s household, to take down Olivia’s steward, the pompous Malvolio.
Malvolio was written as male, but The Gamm has cast Deb Martin in the role — and she is electrifying. Her unforgettably hilarious performance changes our idea of Malvolio forever.
Buzz-worthy work runs through the entire cast, particularly from Nora Eschenheimer as Feste, who, as Cesario says, “is wise enough to play the fool.” Eschenheimer sings, plays multiple instruments and does it all in character.
Physical comedy is the forte of Jeff Church as Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Kelby T. Akin as Sir Toby Belch, the former spending time falling over or hiding inside a trunk and the latter in drunken dishevelment, all aided and abetted by Jason Quinn as Fabian.
Equally fabulous are Rachel Dulude as the dissembling Maria; Alison Russo as Viola/Cesario, evasive and on edge for fear of being found out; and Donnla Hughes as Olivia, reserved until she’s unleashed by her attraction to Cesario.
Patrick Lynch’s creative set looks at first like two huge crates that might have been on the ship that was wrecked just before the play begins. Then they open up to opulent settings befitting the homes of Duke Orsino or Lady Olivia. Not only do David T. Howard’s costumes suit the characters, he also solves the puzzle of what Shakespeare meant when he dressed Malvolio in “cross garters,” hardly a recognizable style today.
Season after season, The Gamm has been the place to see Shakespeare’s works come to life for contemporary audiences, and this “Twelfth Night” epitomizes the theater’s accomplishments. Only one thing left to say: Don’t miss it.
Performances of “Twelfth Night” continue through April 14 at The Gamm Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Blvd. Tickets are $55-$65 and available by calling (401) 723-4266 or online at gammtheatre.org/ twelfth. Information about discounts and pay-whatyou-wish nights is available at gammtheatre.org/ discounts.