TheatreAddict.com - Bakersfield Drama Blog
Rants, raves, and musings about the Bakersfield Theatre community by yours truly - a real life theatre addictFriday, June 02, 2006
Twelfth Night Review - Welcome Margie!
I'd like to introduce you to our new correspondent, Margie Custer! Margie is a local writer with a passion for art in Bakersfield. She will be linking up to TheatreAddict.com from time to time to share articles about local performing arts. Enjoy her review of CSUB's "Twelfth Night" and look for more from her in the future!
The Dore Theatre opens Twelfth Night on May 18. The play provides something for everyone: a love triangle, some pranksters, some mistaken identities, and humor. The cast is accomplished, the set and costumes lovely, and the script…well, it’s Shakespeare. Who could go wrong with that?
A young woman of aristocratic birth, Viola, is shipwrecked and is swept upon the shores of Illyria. Believing that her twin brother is drowned at sea, she must seek employment on her own. After donning the identity of a young man, Cesario, she comes to work for Duke Orsino who is in love with the Lady Olivia.
Viola, as Cesario, gains the Duke’s confidence and is asked to convey messages of love to the Lady Olivia on the Duke’s behalf. Meanwhile, Viola has fallen in love with the Duke but does as she/he is asked. Lady Olivia hears the message but instead of becoming interested in the Duke, falls for Cesario, the young page.
The classic love triangle is set and as the troublesome relationships develop, Viola’s twin, Sebastian, shows up—it appears that he was not killed at sea after all. As the mistaken identities confuse everyone, the plot unfolds until its dramatic conclusion.
The storyline is fairly straight forward, and as long as the audience keeps in mind that Viola, dressed as a boy, unmistakably resembles her brother, everything should make sense. For play goers who are not avid Shakespeare fans, this one might be a good place to start.
Fulfilling the roles of Viola and Cesario is Toni Kerley. She is both charismatic and endearing as the young woman in love with her employer. Kerley is a junior at CSUB and a theatre major. Kerley performed last year in the musical, The Boy Friend, portrayed Agnes in Agnes of God, and has been both on stage and behind the scenes at the Gaslight Melodrama. She is performing in the Theatre Arts Department's traveling children's show, The Talking Stick.
Max Goodwin is commanding in the role of Duke Orsino, displaying the proper mixture of arrogance and self-absorption of the character. Goodwin majors in French but is not a stranger to the stage. He played Torvald in A Doll's House, directed by Ms. DuPratt a year ago.
Kelly Morris graduates this year as a Theatre Arts and English major. She skillfully handles the part of Olivia with all of the character’s aristocratic style and self-indulgence yet a young woman’s eagerness for love. Morris has been in 11 shows at CSUB, as well as singing in the Music Department’s opera. Most recently she was in The Boy Friend and A Doll's House.
The part of Maria is expertly executed by Leia Espericueta. She brings an exuberance to her mischievous character and brightens the stage with her presence. Espericueta is a theatre major (graduating in June) who was awarded a full scholarship for MFA in the acting program at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Portraying Electricidad in Electricidad last fall and Nora in A Doll's House, she is a talented actress with much experience behind her.
Paul DuPratt is wonderful in the part of Sir Toby. From sword fights to inebriated stagger, he is both believable and a pleasure to watch. Graduating in 1982, he is a CSUB alumni and now serves as one of the theatre faculty. He also possesses a MFA in Acting from Cal Arts and has worked in the industry for over ten years. Mr. DuPratt has performed in several CSUB productions as a guest artist; last year he performed in Proof.
A real entertainment treat is Francisco Aragon who portrays Malvolio. Aragon’s interpretation of his character provides some of the most humorous moments of the play. Although he is a Political Science major, he has a strong interest in the stage having performed in The Boy Friend and becoming a playwright as well. His play Make-Up was staged last quarter as part of the Theatre Arts Department's student original one-act plays.
Paul Sosa, a junior at CSUB and a theatre major, is delightful as Feste, the clown. Combining gymnastics, dancing, and singing along with a lyrical reading of his lines, Sosa’s execution of his part enlivens the stage. He performed last year in The Boy Friend and has been in several of the CSUB's traveling children shows.
Max Jacobs portrays Violoa’s twin brother, Sebastian. Michael Pawloski plays Sir Andrew, another would-be suiter to Olivia. Dashawn A. R. Clark plays Antonio, loyal friend to Sebastian. The rest of the cast is played by Todd Marion Jr., James Ray Sechler, Fabian Euresti, Michael Mejia, Danvir Grewal, and Amy Echeverria. Marcy Dow works as stage manager and Professor Michael Flachmann serves as the dramaturge.
The director is Anita DuPratt who is retiring after 25 years of teaching at CSUB where she has chaired the Performing Arts Department for six years and the Theatre Department for three years. Her accomplishments include directing over 30 productions at CSUB, numerous other directing positions at local theatres, and recently receiving the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion for Excellence in Theatre Education.
Anita DuPratt brings her wealth of experience to a talented group of actors and the result is magic. Well worth the cost of admission, this production promises to deliver an enjoyable evening.
Evening performances are on May 18-20 and 25-27 at 8 pm, and a single matinee is offered on May 28 at 2 pm. The show runs 2 hrs plus a 10 minute intermission.
Tickets are $10 for General Admission; $8 for Sr. Citizens, CSUB Faculty and Staff; $5 for students and children. The box office opens 1 hour before curtain time. Reservations can be made at 654-3150. For additional information call 654-3127.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Margie Custer has been a southwest resident for the past 27 years. As a writer she has been a regular contributor to the Northwest Voice, has had articles printed in The Bakersfield Californian and Bakersfield Magazine, and has been a winner in the Writer’s Weekly 24-hour Short Story Contest. She is a member of the Writers of Kern and enjoys writing all different kinds of fiction, poetry, and plays.
Twelfth Night is Just Right
The Dore Theatre opens Twelfth Night on May 18. The play provides something for everyone: a love triangle, some pranksters, some mistaken identities, and humor. The cast is accomplished, the set and costumes lovely, and the script…well, it’s Shakespeare. Who could go wrong with that?
A young woman of aristocratic birth, Viola, is shipwrecked and is swept upon the shores of Illyria. Believing that her twin brother is drowned at sea, she must seek employment on her own. After donning the identity of a young man, Cesario, she comes to work for Duke Orsino who is in love with the Lady Olivia.
Viola, as Cesario, gains the Duke’s confidence and is asked to convey messages of love to the Lady Olivia on the Duke’s behalf. Meanwhile, Viola has fallen in love with the Duke but does as she/he is asked. Lady Olivia hears the message but instead of becoming interested in the Duke, falls for Cesario, the young page.
The classic love triangle is set and as the troublesome relationships develop, Viola’s twin, Sebastian, shows up—it appears that he was not killed at sea after all. As the mistaken identities confuse everyone, the plot unfolds until its dramatic conclusion.
The storyline is fairly straight forward, and as long as the audience keeps in mind that Viola, dressed as a boy, unmistakably resembles her brother, everything should make sense. For play goers who are not avid Shakespeare fans, this one might be a good place to start.
Fulfilling the roles of Viola and Cesario is Toni Kerley. She is both charismatic and endearing as the young woman in love with her employer. Kerley is a junior at CSUB and a theatre major. Kerley performed last year in the musical, The Boy Friend, portrayed Agnes in Agnes of God, and has been both on stage and behind the scenes at the Gaslight Melodrama. She is performing in the Theatre Arts Department's traveling children's show, The Talking Stick.
Max Goodwin is commanding in the role of Duke Orsino, displaying the proper mixture of arrogance and self-absorption of the character. Goodwin majors in French but is not a stranger to the stage. He played Torvald in A Doll's House, directed by Ms. DuPratt a year ago.
Kelly Morris graduates this year as a Theatre Arts and English major. She skillfully handles the part of Olivia with all of the character’s aristocratic style and self-indulgence yet a young woman’s eagerness for love. Morris has been in 11 shows at CSUB, as well as singing in the Music Department’s opera. Most recently she was in The Boy Friend and A Doll's House.
The part of Maria is expertly executed by Leia Espericueta. She brings an exuberance to her mischievous character and brightens the stage with her presence. Espericueta is a theatre major (graduating in June) who was awarded a full scholarship for MFA in the acting program at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Portraying Electricidad in Electricidad last fall and Nora in A Doll's House, she is a talented actress with much experience behind her.
Paul DuPratt is wonderful in the part of Sir Toby. From sword fights to inebriated stagger, he is both believable and a pleasure to watch. Graduating in 1982, he is a CSUB alumni and now serves as one of the theatre faculty. He also possesses a MFA in Acting from Cal Arts and has worked in the industry for over ten years. Mr. DuPratt has performed in several CSUB productions as a guest artist; last year he performed in Proof.
A real entertainment treat is Francisco Aragon who portrays Malvolio. Aragon’s interpretation of his character provides some of the most humorous moments of the play. Although he is a Political Science major, he has a strong interest in the stage having performed in The Boy Friend and becoming a playwright as well. His play Make-Up was staged last quarter as part of the Theatre Arts Department's student original one-act plays.
Paul Sosa, a junior at CSUB and a theatre major, is delightful as Feste, the clown. Combining gymnastics, dancing, and singing along with a lyrical reading of his lines, Sosa’s execution of his part enlivens the stage. He performed last year in The Boy Friend and has been in several of the CSUB's traveling children shows.
Max Jacobs portrays Violoa’s twin brother, Sebastian. Michael Pawloski plays Sir Andrew, another would-be suiter to Olivia. Dashawn A. R. Clark plays Antonio, loyal friend to Sebastian. The rest of the cast is played by Todd Marion Jr., James Ray Sechler, Fabian Euresti, Michael Mejia, Danvir Grewal, and Amy Echeverria. Marcy Dow works as stage manager and Professor Michael Flachmann serves as the dramaturge.
The director is Anita DuPratt who is retiring after 25 years of teaching at CSUB where she has chaired the Performing Arts Department for six years and the Theatre Department for three years. Her accomplishments include directing over 30 productions at CSUB, numerous other directing positions at local theatres, and recently receiving the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival Gold Medallion for Excellence in Theatre Education.
Anita DuPratt brings her wealth of experience to a talented group of actors and the result is magic. Well worth the cost of admission, this production promises to deliver an enjoyable evening.
Evening performances are on May 18-20 and 25-27 at 8 pm, and a single matinee is offered on May 28 at 2 pm. The show runs 2 hrs plus a 10 minute intermission.
Tickets are $10 for General Admission; $8 for Sr. Citizens, CSUB Faculty and Staff; $5 for students and children. The box office opens 1 hour before curtain time. Reservations can be made at 654-3150. For additional information call 654-3127.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Margie Custer has been a southwest resident for the past 27 years. As a writer she has been a regular contributor to the Northwest Voice, has had articles printed in The Bakersfield Californian and Bakersfield Magazine, and has been a winner in the Writer’s Weekly 24-hour Short Story Contest. She is a member of the Writers of Kern and enjoys writing all different kinds of fiction, poetry, and plays.
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