Summer Shakespeare Theatre 2023

‘Twelfth Night, or What You Will’

Summer Shakespeare Theatre presented one of the Bard’s most popular comedies, Twelfth Night or What You Will, July 19-23 in the Appleton North High School auditorium. A cast and crew made up of students from area high schools spent six weeks learning about Shakespeare and the theatre of the Renaissance while preparing a six-show run of the play.

This marks the twenty-fourth year of the program sponsored by the Fox Valley Summer School Consortium. Appleton North High School theatre instructor Ron Parker began the program in the Fox Valley after founding and directing a similar program in Kenosha for 13 years.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for students interested in theatre to study and perform the work of the greatest playwright in the English language,” Parker said. “In addition, students from various schools in the area have a chance to meet and work together. Our previous seasons’ productions have been very well received. We look forward to even better things in the future.”

Audiences who attended this summer’s performances of Twelfth Night were treated to elaborate period costumes, an original musical score written by British composer and program alumnus Charlie Williams, and a variety of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters. In addition, one of the student actors portrayed Shakespeare himself and provided pre-play commentary and mingled with audience members during the show. Audiences were seated directly on the stage to be nearer to the action, which was typical of performances in Shakespeare’s era.

“Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night continues to be one of the Bard’s most produced plays not only on stage but in modern film adaptations such as ‘She’s the Man,’” states Parker. “It examines themes of gender roles and the true nature of love that make it very relevant to 21st century audiences. Its madcap plot of mistaken identities and collection of unforgettable comic characters continues to engage and entertain us today.”

CAST A / B

CAST A shows: July 20 (7pm), July 22 (7pm), and July 23 (2pm) / CAST B shows: July 19 (7pm), July 21 (7pm), and July 22 (2pm)

Viola - Autumn Holmes / Sunny March-Tormé

Orsino - Elias Kosmicki / Max Lietzan-Buechel

Olivia - Audra Jenike / Eryn Lemmert

Sebastian - Emily Lange / Fern Frey

Malvolio - Sheia Wiggins / Aiden Nettekoven

Lead Feste - Max Russell

Feste - Anderson Rickman, Bennett Boggs, Phillip Moran, Claire Altmann, Adrian Bronson, Oliver Hestres, Amelia Ornstein, Blake Werner, Tristan King

Sir Toby Belch - Genesis Liebhaber / Caleb Lietzan-Buechel

Maria - EJ Nissen / Maggie Hendrick

Sir Andrew Aguecheek - Emma Cowles / Sylvia Dums

Antonio - Gabby Javenkoski / Mason Koffie

Valentine - Phillip Moran / Bennett Boggs

Curio - Icarus Jessel / Brianna Skorr

Fabian - Lauren Leroy / McKenna Dehn

Captain - Esther Anderle / Oliver Hestres

Priest - Tristan King / Adrian Bronson

3 Officers - Claire Altmann, Amelia Ornstein, Blake Werner

Shakespeare - Anderson Rickman / Esther Anderle

CREW

Mya Ballerstein, Sam Lemerande, Boba O'Kelly, Silas Rettler, and Emmy Streu

ABOUT ‘TWELFTH NIGHT’: A SYNOPSIS

The story begins when Viola is washed up on the shore of Illyria after losing her twin brother, Sebastian, in a shipwreck. She dresses as a boy, calls herself Cesario and goes to work for a rich Duke called Orsino. Orsino sends “him” to carry messages of love to a rich Countess, Olivia. Olivia isn’t interested in Orsino but falls in love with “Cesario” instead!

Olivia’s uncle, Sir Toby Belch, and his friend Sir Andrew get drunk one night and are told off by Malvolio, Olivia’s pompous steward. They plan to get back at him with the help of the maid Maria. Maria writes a love letter to Malvolio, pretending it’s from Olivia. The letter asks him to do strange things to prove his love for Olivia. Malvolio finds it and vows to do everything the letter asks.

Though Viola believes her twin brother Sebastian was drowned in the shipwreck, unbeknownst to her he arrives in Illyria with his friend Antonio who rescued him. Viola visits Olivia’s house dressed as “Cesario,” and Sir Toby Belch sets up a duel between “him" and Sir Andrew. Antonio tries to stop the fight, thinking Viola is Sebastian. Olivia sees Sebastian and thinks he’s “Cesario.” She asks him to marry her and Sebastian is surprised but agrees.

Malvolio starts to behave strangely and does all the things he was asked to in the letter. Sir Toby and Maria use this as an excuse to pretend he has gone mad and lock him in a dark room. After a lot of confusion about who is who, Sebastian and Viola are both seen in the same place at the same time and are reunited. Everything is resolved and Orsino asks Viola to marry him.

ABOUT SUMMER SHAKESPEARE THEATRE

The Summer Shakespeare Theatre program, sponsored by the Fox Valley Summer School Consortium, is in its twenty-fourth year in the Fox Valley, and was started by Appleton North High School theatre instructor, Ron Parker, after he founded and directed a similar program in Kenosha for 13 years. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for students interested in theatre to study and perform the work of the greatest playwright in the English language,” said Parker. “In addition, students from various schools in the area have a chance to meet and work together.”

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 SUMMER SHAKESPEARE Theatre

Summer Shakespeare Theatre is a six-week course that runs from mid June through late July, in which participants learn about Shakespeare, his times, and theatre by preparing and presenting one of his plays for public performance.

Students who just completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade at a Fox Valley Consortium School (Appleton, Brillion, Freedom, Hilbert, Hortonville, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Little Chute, Menasha, Neenah, Shiocton, Xavier, and Fox Valley Lutheran) are eligible to participate. The course and performances are held at Appleton North HS.

Questions? For more information on course content and performances, contact Ron Parker, director and educator, at parkerronaldc@aasd.k12.wi.us. For registration questions, visit the AASD Summer School page, or call 920-832-4976.