Reviews: Twelfth Night at John R. Lewis High School
Written by Hiroko Rose of Woodson High School
Cue N'SYNC and grab your flip phone, because tonight we're heading straight into the early 00s with John R. Lewis High School's interpretation of the Bard's Twelfth Night.
Twelfth Night, first performed around 1602, was created for the final night of the Christmas season, a time marked by festivity, mischief, and playful reversals. Shakespeare crafted a comedy overflowing with disguise, mistaken identity, and blurred gender roles. This rendition took inspiration from the 2006 hit movie, She's the Man, and set Illyria in a full Y2K high school world.
The plot follows Viola, shipwrecked and believing her twin brother dead. Disguised as a boy named Cesario, she serves Duke Orsino, who sends her to court Olivia on his behalf. Olivia falls for Cesario, Cesario secretly loves Orsino, and chaos ensues until Sebastian returns and truths unravel.
As Viola, Tiffany Campbell became a resourceful chameleon, juggling lines with impressive speed and chaotic charm. Throughout the show, she shifted between a gawky teenage-boy swagger and her own poised femininity, capturing the duality of the disguise.
In contrast, Hans Harrer played Orsino with earnest devotion. Pining for Olivia (Lillie Sabry) for much of the show, Harrer spoke in steady iambic pentameter, swooning and singing his lines with heartfelt romantic flair.
Offsetting the production's sincere moments, the Fools exploded onto the stage with eccentric and theatrical bravado. Rohan Hossain and Rickey Salazar Cardona delivered brain-rot teen chaos and karaoke fiend energy with mischievous exactitude. Their flamboyant presence ignited every scene they entered.
The props team, led by Rebecca Doherty, fully committed to the high-school aesthetic by embracing caffeine addictions, cheerleader pep, and soccer ball mayhem. The many Monster Energy cans they emptied cleverly reshaped Sir Toby Belch (played by Kevin Duong) from Shakespeare's drunkard into an over-caffeinated menace.
One of the show's most demanding challenges fell to the Hair and Makeup team under Lillie Sabry. They crafted Viola's essential transformation tool: a 25-inch handmade wig perfectly matched to Campbell's warm undertones. Its construction was crucial to the illusion and executed flawlessly.
High school isn't easy, especially when you're speaking in iambic pentameter, but the Lancer Theater Department pulls it off with charm, wit, and a touch of Y2K magic in their vibrant production of Twelfth Night.
Written by Aiden Brennan of Woodson High School
Lace up your cleats and hit the field, because it's time for John R. Lewis High School's production of Twelfth Night! This modern take on a Shakespearean classic brought new life and new energy as its story of love, deception, and high school soccer teams unfolded.
Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's most iconic works. The light-hearted comedy follows a young woman named Viola, who disguises herself as a man and ends up working for Duke Orsino, who is in love with the Countess Olivia. Olivia ends up falling in love with the disguised Viola, and Viola finds herself falling for Orsino, creating a perfect love triangle. Joined by a cast of colorful characters, wacky hijinks ensue. Lewis High School's production took inspiration from the 2006 movie adaptation She's the Man, and set their version at Illyria High School, with the dukes and countesses swapped for soccer players and cheerleaders. The flip phones and cheesy pop music of the 2000s turned this classic into an entirely new experience.
The central trio of Viola, Orsino, and Olivia brought delightful joy to the stage as each of them pined over another, and made unique distinguishing choices. Tiffany Campbell as Viola started very reserved but became more outgoing as Viola became more entangled in her disguise, beginning with a soft-spoken voice and hands always behind her back but later yelling and panicking as her deception led to more complications. Meanwhile, Orsino played by Hans Harrer, had a charming cheesiness to him as he dramatically sighed and stomped in his unrequited love. The standout was Lillie Sabry as Olivia, who beguiled the audience with her sassiness and charm. Sabry contrasted Olivia's earnest affection for Viola with her scorn for the prudish Malvolio (Noel Fauls). She smiled brightly at times, and sneered derisively at others. Sabry also had excellent diction, making Shakespeare's verbose language easily understandable to the audience.
The funniest moments of the show came from the boisterous Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, played by Kevin Duong and CC Waddington respectively. Duong and Waddington had a delicious chemistry as the more confident, lumbering Belch (a caffeine addict rather than a drunk in this adaptation) imparted foolish advice to the flightier and more energetic Aguecheek. Waddington in particular had an excellent grasp on Shakepeare's language, and made bold acting choices as they flailed around the stage.
The set, designed by Gabe Vasquez-Cruz, consisted of three sets of bleachers and some astroturf. While it may have been a little simplistic, it was utilized in interesting ways, as the ensemble would often sit in the bleachers and watch the show, reacting to the shenanigans occurring onstage.
The heightened emotions and energy of the show were paralleled by the lights, designed by Bev Ta. Nearly every scene was washed in a bright, vivid color, whether it was a hot pink during Olivia's scenes, or a stark blue during the final prom scene. There were also three mock stadium lights on stage, which turned on during the scenes set at the soccer field to really immerse the audience in the setting.
Shakespeare's works were always meant to be timeless, and Lewis High School's production certainly demonstrated that. With their unique choices and energy, the cast and crew scored a winning goal!