Frederick Shakespeare Festival heads into the jazz age with 'Twelfth Night'
Jul. 24—Endangered Species theatre Project (ESPtheatre) will present a deaf/hearing integrated production of "Twelfth Night" as its mainstage production in the Frederick Shakespeare Festival, July 29 to Aug. 11.
The fast-paced show is a rollicking rollercoaster of mistaken identities, wild antics and a dash of enchantment, with shipwrecks, gender bending, and a tangled love triangle.
"Twelfth Night" will be performed at the Hodson Outdoor Theatre, bringing Shakespeare's comedy to life under the stars.
"As the sun sets ... Hood college turns into a magical atmosphere that is perfect for 'Twelfth Night,'" says director Christine Mosere. "Ever since our fully integrated production of Romeo & Juliet back in 2021, I've wanted to bring this form of theater back to Frederick ... We are thrilled to be back at Hood College, which is nestled inside a border of bushes, making it easy to transport into the fictional island of Illyria."
ESPtheatre's Romeo & Juliet composer Garth Kravits (singer-songwriter, filmmaker and Broadway) has returned to bring Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" songs into the jazz age. Chicago based director of artistic sign language Crom Saunders has joined the team to bring Shakespeare's words into ASL.
The cast features an ensemble of players performing multiple roles and includes deaf actor Richard Costes as Feste, Evan Crump as Orsino, Surasree Das as Viola, and deaf actor Michelle Mary Schaefer as Olivia. Courtesy of Actors Equity Association (pending approval), Gillian Shelly will open the show as Malvolia, and Michael Harris as Sir Toby Belch.
Bring your own blanket or chair to enjoy this production.
Hood College's Hodson Outdoor Theater is at 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick. To reserve "pay-what-you-can" tickets, go to esptheatre.org or call 301-305-1405.
