What You Will: THT Rep presents 'Twelfth Night' and 'Judith' at BrickBox Theater
The Hanover Theatre Repertory will have William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" and Kate Bender's new play "Judith" running in rotation at the BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center from April 11 to May 5 as it closes its second full season.
Although there's a gap of about 422 years between the two works, there will certainly be "resonances" between them, said THT Rep's artistic director Livy Scanlon.
In "Twelfth Night," Viola, one of the main protagonists, disguises herself as a man after being shipwrecked and separated from her brother. The title character of "Judith" is Shakespeare's sister, who poses as the Bard of Avon to try to save his reputation.
In both instances the gender-bending nature of the stories lead to assumed and mistaken identities and playful humor. The full title of Shakespeare's play is "Twelfth Night: Or What You Will."
Bard company
Asked if she saw them as two like-minded works to present together, Scanlon said, "I did very much so ... Certainly there's a great deal of overlap in some of the scenes."
The two plays have something else in common. Scanlon plays Judith in "Judith," a one-woman show, and she's Viola in "Twelfth Night." Brendon Fox, who has national credits, directs both productions.
"Twelfth Night" opens for previews April 11 and 12, and will have its official opening at 8 p.m. April 13 with a preshow party at 6 p.m. The production will have 13 public performances and three school matinee performances.
"Judith" has an opening matinee performance at 2 p.m. April 13, and will also be performed April 20, 28 and May 3.
THT Rep will also have an open house at the BrickBox Theater April 13.
A 'vital, creative place'
The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts launched THT Rep in 2020 as a means for its own productions at the BrickBox Theater and other venues. The repertory presented "William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar" on Worcester Common in 2021.
For the 2022-23 season, THT Rep's' first full season, the company staged Shakespeare's "Macbeth," the "Edgar Allan Poe Double Header," an experimental staged reading of "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller with an all-female cast, a developmental staged reading of "Judith," and "The Marvelous Party" inspired by Noel Coward, all at the BrickBox Theater.
The 2023-24 season has also included productions of "The Glass Menagerie" by Tennessee Williams and "The Return of The Edgar Allan Poe Double Header," all at the BrickBox Theater.
In February it was announced that THT Rep had exceeded a $1.5 Million McDonough Family Foundation matching grant challenge, raising $1,583,823 over the course of 15 months. The grant challenge was made with an eye toward raising $3 million. The gift will allow the repertory to pursue inclusive casting, set equitable ticket prices and choose titles that work well for the general public and student audiences. Scanlon acknowledged donors in the announcement, stating: “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting this exciting endeavor. I hope you take pride in knowing your generosity will make downtown Worcester a more vital, creative place.”
The THT Rep production of "Twelfth Night" has a listed cast of 19 who include professionals from Boston, Providence and Shakespeare & Company in the Berkshires, as well as student actors from THT Rep's own Worc at Play program, which provides tuition-free Shakespeare training and performance program for residents of Greater Worcester ages 18+ offered in partnership with The Hanover Theatre Conservatory.
"It's a really important program for THT Rep and I'm really proud of them," Scanlon said of Worc at Play and the actors in "Twelfth Night." "It's really important for people from Worcester to have a chance to be in these plays so that the stage isn't just for people coming from Boston, New York City and Providence, but people from the community."
``Twelfth Night'' has become one of the most popular of Shakespeare's plays for audiences in our place and time. As one of its most famous lines states, "If music be the food of love, play on."
"The language in it so fantastic, the love triangle is endlessly fun to untangle, and Viola is a beloved protagonist in the canon," Scanlon said. "And of course the great comedy. It's one of those pieces that has endured."
A Roaring Twenties spin
Set in a seemingly languidly ideal (although Shakespeare hints at darker undercurrents) Illyria, the story has to do with twins, Viola and Sebastian, who have been shipwrecked and washed up separately on Illyrian shores. Each believes the other has drowned, and Viola makes her way into the strange new world (for her) disguised as a man.She finds employment with Duke Orsino, who has been unsuccessfully attempting to woo his noble neighbor, Olivia. But when Olivia listens to Viola's entreaties to her on the duke's behalf, she finds herself falling for what she thinks is a fresh-faced young male messenger. Meanwhile, in Olivia's household, her maid, Maria, and drunken house guests Sir Toby Blech and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, play a trick on the pompous head servant, Malvolio. He is led to believe that Olivia secretly loves him, and is made to look more of a fool than the Fool in the play, Feste.
The question in recent times is what will a production do with "Twelfth Night"? There have certainly been more than 12 variants in setting and interpretation.
For the The THT Rep production, director Fox has set the play in the Roaring Twenties, Scanlon said, with the cast wearing costumes of the era.
There's something about that time and place that seems to fit with Illyria, with its drinking and revelry. A few years ago the former Stageloft Repertory Theater in Sturbridge placed the play in a 1920s New Orleans speakeasy.
THT Rep's "Twelfth Night" evokes the "Gatsby elegance and indulgence of the time," Scanlon said. Also, the setting is just far enough in the past that the notion of people being stranded in a new country is "still plausible."
The preshow party for the April 13 opening will have a 1920s theme.
To further add to the atmosphere, Mark Mummert, Cantor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Worcester and assistant director of the Worcester Chorus, has composed 1920s style music for the production.
"Twelfth Night is delightful, but I think Shakespeare is always thought provoking. I think folks will have opinions on how we put it together," Scanlon said.
Shakespeare's sister
Worcester audiences have been able to see "Judith" come together.
"Judith" is presented in partnership with Urbanite Theatre in Sarasota, Florida. In March, 2023, THT Rep presented "An Experimental Staged Reading of 'Judith' by Katie Bender" at the BrickBox Theater featuring Scanlon as Judith.
In Shakespeare's own time, the religious divide between Protestants and Catholics was still devastating England, and Judith comes to William's rescue over the matter. On a merrier note, women dressing up as men and causing confusion can be found in some of Shakespeare's most enduring works, such as "Twelfth Night."
In the course of her ruse, Judith falls in love with a woman while continuing to pass as a man.
Shakespeare did have two real life sisters. Judith is imaginary, with the name inspired by the 20th century author and essayist Virginia Woolf's musings in her essay "A Room of One's Own." Woolf wrote, "Let me imagine, since facts are so hard to come by, what would have happened had Shakespeare had a wonderfully gifted sister, called Judith, let us say."
Scanlon said in an earlier interview that she had the initial idea for "Judith" but was looking to commission the piece and knew that playwright and actor Bender, based in Austin, Texas, "was the right playwright for the material." Bender came on board "and took it much further than I could ever," Scanlon said.
In the staged reading Scanlon had the script in her hand, and wore plain clothes. The performance was also livestreamed, partly in the hope that a producer or producers will catch it and like it.
Last fall, the play was given another staged reading in New York City, and then a full world premiere production at the Urbanite Theatre in Sarasota in January and February.
At the BrickBox Theater "Judith" will also be given a full production with Scanlon, with no script, dressed in costume.
The production in Sarasota "went extremely well, a lot of terrific reviews. It was very well received," Scanlon said.
A review in Sarasota Magazine said, "Scanlon is lively, touching and believable as a woman daring to reach beyond the normal to discover more about herself and life in general."
Asked is she's already making plans for THT Rep's 2024-25 season, Scanlon said "I am but I'm not quite ready to tell you." However, she is scheduled to announce the 2024-25 season at 4:15 p.m. April 13 at the open house.
She said that the development of "Judith" is "a model I hope we'll continue with" - either as a new piece or a new take on a work.
As for what will happen with "Judith" after its Worcester run, Scanlon said, "We're not quite sure yet, but we're hopeful she'll continue to play on."
THT Rep presents 'Twelfth Night' by William Shakespeare
When: Performances: 7: 30 p.m. April 11 and 8 p.m. April 12 (previews); 8 p.m. April 13 (opening); 2 p.m. April 14; 7:30 p.m. April 18 and 19; 2 p.m. April 20 and 21; 8 p.m. April 27; 2 p.m. April 28; 7:30 p.m. May 2; 8 p.m. May 4; 2 p.m. May 5 (closing)
Where: BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center, 20 Franklin St., Worcester
How much: Tiered tickets from $12-$200. (877) 571-7469; thehanovertheatre.org
What: THT Rep presents 'Judith' by Kate Bender
When: Performances: 2 p.m. April 13; 8 p.m. April 20; 7 p.m. April 28; 8 p.m. May 3
Where: BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Center, 20 Franklin St., Worcester
How much: Tiered tickets from $12-$200. (877)571-7469; thehanovertheatre.org
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: THT Rep presents 'Twelfth Night' and 'Judith' at BrickBox Theater
