Act 1 DeSales University Theatre is bringing Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night to the Main Stage of the Labuda Center for the Performing Arts. The production opens Wednesday, Feb. 21 and runs through Sunday, March 3.
Twelfth Night is a comedy which follows the story of Viola, a shipwrecked woman who disguises herself as a man to serve the court of Duke Orsino. While in disguise, Viola is tasked with bringing messages to the noble Olivia. Olivia is grieving the death of her brother and has vowed not to love anyone for seven years. But when she begins to fall for Viola–disguised as a man–she is faced with a slew of problems, including a plot by Sir Toby Belch to embarrass her head servant, Malvolio.
Director Jessica Bedford, artistic director and assistant professor of theatre at DeSales, said she is thrilled to bring Twelfth Night to life. Others involved in the production include James Raymond, visiting assistant professor and scene designer, who created sets through the lens of the 1950s; costume designer Deborah Burrill, who designed mid-century modern attire for the cast; production manager Josiane Jones; lighting designer and assistant professor/head of design Eric T. Haugen; sound designer Jonathan Cannon; and Abby Jeanne, who along with Cannon adapted music for the production.
Performances of “Twelfth Night” are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. and one performance on Monday, Feb. 26, at 9:45 a.m. Ticket prices are $23 for adults and $21 for students and seniors Tuesday through Thursday, and $27 for adults and $25 for students and seniors Friday through Sunday. There will be two talk-back performances with the cast on Sunday, Feb. 25, immediately following the matinee performance, and Monday, Feb. 26, following the 9:45 a.m. performance. The production is recommended for ages 12 and up.
The Saturday, March 2 performance at 7:30 p.m. will feature open captioning for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing and audio descriptions for patrons who are blind or visually impaired. During open captioned and audio described performances, all dialogue and sound effects are presented in real-time on an LED screen adjacent to the stage, while action and physical appearances are described live through a headset. Tickets are half price for patrons using these special services on this date. More information is available by calling the Box Office at 610-282-3654, ext. 1.
Students who attend DeSales or any other Lehigh Valley college or university can purchase discounted tickets for $8. Group discounts are also available for all performances. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Labuda Center Box Office at 610-282-3192.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
