Last Weekend for Benicia High’s Twelfth Night

Like many of Shakespeare’s comedies, Twelfth Night centers on mistaken identity. The lead character, Viola, is shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria during the opening scenes. She loses contact with her twin brother, Sebastian, whom she believes to be dead.

Masquerading as a young page under the name Cesario, she enters the service of Duke Orsino through the help of the sea captain who rescues her. Orsino has convinced himself that he is in love with the bereaved Lady Olivia, whose father and brother have recently died, and who will have nothing to do with any suitors, the Duke included. Orsino decides to use "Cesario" as an intermediary to tell Olivia about his love for her. Olivia, believing Viola to be a man, falls in love with this handsome and eloquent messenger. Viola, in turn, has fallen in love with the Duke, who also believes Viola is a man, and who regards her as his confidant. 

The Benicia High Drama department production of Twelfth Night gets an interesting twist by having the actors use the Elizabethan dialogue and placing the scenes in a mod set design based in Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. 

"The students are enjoying developing their characters for this classical play with the modern twists involved.  The play has been double cast to give a chance for the most students to develop their acting talents,” said Christine Mani, the plays director and a drama and dance teacher at Benicia High. "The cast sings many tunes from the 1950's to the present as part of the play’s interpretation."