A Delightful Dozen

Secret love, laughter and much music will ring out in Forest Park this summer, when Shakespeare Festival St. Louis presents Twelfth Night. A comedy about Viola, who starts as a castaway young woman, then disguises herself as the male Cesario in order to search for her twin brother, Sebastian, and ends up working for the Duke Orsino. Orsino believes he's in love with the countess Olivia, and sends his new page Cesario to woo her. Unfortunately for the duke, Olivia only has eyes for the handsome young messenger; But Orsino can't seem to shake thoughts of that same Cesario out of his own head. The B-plot concerns the hard-partying Sir Toby Belch and his lack-wit pal Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and their efforts to discredit Olivia's head servant, Malvolio, because he wants them to stop throwing major ragers in the house. The music will come from the cast, who will play songs written specifically for Shakespeare's lyrics by The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra. Not bad for an evening of free theater, eh? Twelfth Night is presented at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Monday (May 24 through June 16), with previews on Wednesday and Thursday (May 22 and 23) in Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park (just over the hill from the Saint Louis Art Museum; www.sfstl.com).
Mondays, Wednesdays-Sundays. Starts: May 22. Continues through June 16, 2013