A little gender-bending entertainment in Illyria

There is no need to head to New York City for a drag show to find a little gender-bending entertainment this week.

Cross-dressing, drunkenness, music and revelry are the order of the day in Samara Abrams-Primack '02's senior thesis production of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night."

The play recounts the story of Viola (Katie Flynn '02) and Sebastian (Peter Robinson '02), a set of fraternal twins who become separated in a shipwreck and are washed upon the shores of the dreamy world of Illyria. Alone and mistakenly thinking her brother dead, the heroine Viola assumes a male disguise to survive in this unknown world.

While incognito, Viola becomes a page for the ruler of Illyria, Duke Orsino (Andrew Walsh '02) who enlists her to help him win the love of the Countess Olivia (Julia Ressler '05). Viola's disguise becomes the center of much amorous confusion to the point where the detached fool, Feste (Rakesh Satyal '02) appears to be the only sane character on stage.

Abrams-Primack capitalizes on the gender confusion by staging various humorous situations.

For example, in Act 2, the Duke summons Feste to sing a melodramatic love song. As Feste sings the final line 'To weep there,' Orsino buries his face in the disguised Viola's lap, much to her embarrassment.

In the opening line of the play, the Duke Orsino remarks: "If music be the food of love, play on/ Give me excess of it."

Abrams-Primack takes the play's first line to heart and fills scene changes with an eclectic mix of music, ranging from opera to Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time."

These modern musical clips, in addition to Feste's romantic songs, mirror the emotion in the play and highlight its ambiguities.

For example, the play ends with a sad song that contrasts the upbeat modern clips, emphasizing the presence of the darker side of human nature in the comedy.

In Abrams-Primack's set, beach meets backyard barbecue. Big beach-ball-shaped and -colored lights are strung from columns. These lights serve as a backdrop to the stage while the action unfolds on a patio with a picnic table.

The whole stage is covered in artificial grass and half-way through the play, a handful of flamingo lawn ornaments appear, leaving the audience wondering: Who forgot the Weber grill? Nonetheless, it is a festive set in keeping with the convivial nature of the play.

Satyal as Feste carries the performance with his strong singing voice and repertoire of comic facial expressions. Michael Ritter '03 also gives a capable performance as a nervous, inhaler-toting Malvolio — Olivia's puritanical steward.

Abrams-Primack's production is a refreshing, modern take on Shakespeare's play, filled with good performances and funky music.

"Twelfth Night"

By William Shakespeare Directed by Samara Abrams-Primack '02 Frist Theatre Nov. 15-17 (609) 258-4950