One face, one voice, one habit,
and two persons ...
Thank you for tuning in to our virtual production of Twelfth Night, or What You Will.
For this production, the directing and design team thought it would be fun to acknowledge the frames that isolate the actors by staging the production as a living comic book. Costume and Make-Up designer Maile Speetjens was inspired in part by the work of painter Roy Lichtenstein as well as by sitcoms of the late 60s and early 70s. Our OBS team (the folks who design and edit the layout and progression of the frames and backgrounds) have worked towards simulating the experience of reading a comic book. Our cast—under the direction of A.D./choreographer Becky McGarvey—have learned a movement style that makes this comic book world come alive.
It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with such a talented team of actors, designers and crew. Creating engaging live performances online is really very difficult and they amaze me every day by making it look easy. Please stick around for the talk back session after the show to celebrate their hard work.
Terence Knapp—to whom both the festival and this production are dedicated—adored this play, both in its original form and in James Grant Benton’s local version. His 1990 production at Manoa Valley Theatre and his 2004 production of Benton’s twelf nite o’ WATEVA both reflected his deep affection for the characters, the language, the music and the joy of this classic.
Twelfth Night is a play that is, in part, about moving from mourning in isolation to celebrating in public. As we slowly start coming out of the pandemic, it is my hope that life imitates art and that we’ll all be celebrating safely in public again soon.
—R. Kevin Garcia Doyle
Stage Manager: Cindy Lee Meiers
OBS Operator: Chris Teves
Light Board Operator: Charles Wade
Sound Board Operator: Charles Wade
Technical Director: R. Andrew Doan
Donna Blanchard, Maria-Elena Diaz, Hawaii Academy of Performing Arts, Hawaii Public Policy Advocates, Hawaii State Theatre Council, The ARTS at Marks Garage, Brooke Jones, Kennedy Theatre Costume Shop, Kumu Kahua Theatre, Nicolas Logue, Joanna Mills, Nathaniel Niemi, Garrick Paikai, Melissa Pavlicek, Shakespeare Theatre Association, TAG—The Actors’ Group, Windward Community College, Harry Wong III
In his years teaching, creating, promoting and performing theater in Hawai‘i, Professor Knapp touched thousands of lives. While he tackled a wide variety of theatrical projects, it was Professor Knapp’s boundless joy for teaching and presenting Shakespeare that we hope to honor with this festival. It is our sincere wish that our affection and respect for our beloved teacher finds a voice in these productions. The Hawaii Shakespeare Festival is dedicated to Terence Knapp.
—R. Kevin Garcia Doyle, Tony Pisculli, Harry Wong III
Dame Judi Dench, Companion of Honour by the Queen’s personal gift and Britain’s Most Outstanding Actress (as voted by her peers) has consented to be the Patron of the Hawaii Shakespeare Festival at the invitation of Terence Knapp.