Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces the cast and creative team for the upcoming production of William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy “Twelfth Night,” staged by director Tyrone Phillips in the Courtyard Theater, running through November 26. The company features Shelby Lynn Bias, Christiana Clark, Ronald L. Conner, Danielle Davis, Yao Dogbe, Israel Erron Ford, Alex Goodrich, Jaeda LaVonne, Arielle Leverett, Adam Poss, Justen Ross and Paul Oakley Stovall.
Phillips, a first-generation Jamaican American, reimagines Illyria in the Caribbean isles in an exuberant production that makes the play’s oft-quoted line, “If music be the food of love, play on,” ring truer than ever.
Separated from her twin brother in a shipwreck and washed ashore in an unfamiliar land, the spirited Viola disguises herself as a man to work for charming Duke Orsino—and finds herself in the middle of a love triangle of hilarious mistaken identities. Filled with witty commentary on gender, class, and sexuality, this sparkling romance brims with heart and revels in the intoxicating power of love.
“Twelfth Night is all about love, and when I think about love, I think about home and my parents,” shared Phillips. “I’m a first-generation Jamaican American, and I want to bring the freedom I feel when I step off the plane in the Caribbean—the vibrancy, the music, the climate—into this production.
And in that environment, we’ll create space for the questions this play brings up about how to love yourself, and the freedom to express who you truly are, which in turn gives you the power to love someone else and love your community.”
Featuring reggae, calypso, soca, and more under the music direction of Robert Reddrick, “Twelfth Night” will be presented through November 26 in Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater, on Navy Pier, located at 800 E. Grand Ave.
Tickets start at $38 and are on sale now. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.
More information is available at www.chicagoshakes.com/twelfth, on social media at @chicagoshakes or by calling 312.595.5600.
