Shakespeare, Clearly: Twelfth Night

This was our first staged play with Evolve Theatre. When choosing which play would be our first, I wanted a play with subject matter that would challenge our students and push them to become better artists. I believe that this play adaptation by Jon Jory did just that. It is often a difficult task to get students excited about working on classical pieces but I am so proud to say that, along with the easier dialogue of this play and allowing our actors to explore in this world of Shakespeare, they all have a newfound appreciation for his plays. As their director, I wanted to create a fun, immersive experience for the audience. I am proud of the work we did with "Twelfth Night"; it truly is like no other!

For the first time, we have been able to run Evolve like a real regional theatre production. In the fall, we introduced our costume design class, where our students were able to choose which of our spring plays they would be designing. In this process, not only did they learn how a costume shop runs, but also they were able to have a firsthand experience in creating the costumes for our play. We taught them about colors, their meanings and symbolisms, time periods, and their effects on the show. We showed them every decade from the 15th century until 1970, and our students chose to place our production in 1830-1839! Our concept for this play took place in 1839 with a modern twist!

We are so proud of all our students have accomplished this year! Together, we are changing the construct behind children's theatre and providing our students with a quality education they can take with them into college!