'Twelfth Night' Debuts at Johnston High School Tonight

A little bit of Shakespeare comes to Johnston High School tonight with the debut of the fall play.

'Twelfth Night' follows the adventures of shipwrecked twins, Viola and Sebastion, as they encounter the inhabitants of Illyria.

Paul Miller, JHS Drama Sponsor, said the play was something unfamiliar to students.

"I like to do one Shakespeare play every three to four years so that every class is exposed to acting it rather than just reading it," he said. "Acting Shakespeare is different. It forces students to read closely and make acting choices."

The cast of 15, along with the crew of three students, began the process of producing the play when school began in mid-August.

"Everyone is making progress with exploration of their own acting technique," he said. "People, of course, start in different stages of advancement, but fortunately Shakespeare wrote for an entire company that included the advanced along with the apprenti, so it works well with students at different levels of experience."

The intricate plot of 'Twelfth Night', which includes Viola disguised as a man, an unresolvable love triangle and plenty of pranks, is sure to entertain the audience.

"If you have not seen "Twelfth Night" come and watch," Miller said. "It will make you smile. It will, more than likely, make you laugh - a lot. If you like comedy, come and enjoy. If you have seen "Twelfth Night" you may want to reunite with your old friends, Sir Toby, Andrew, Maria, & Malvolio. They will all be here and they are all as wonderful as you remember."

'Twelfth Night' debuts at 7 p.m. tonight at Johnston High School.

Additional shows will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the high school.

Tickets are $5 for students, $7 for adults and activity passes are accepted.