[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of the award-winning Actors Co-op Theatre Company’s Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, directed by Michael T. Kachingwe and produced by Lorinda Hawkins Smith.
I have come to expect the absolute best from the wonderful Actors Co-op Theatre Company. Their productions are always so beautifully staged and thoughtfully directed. Their latest is Twelfth Night, easily one of the most popular of Shakespeare’s comedies and one of my absolute favorites. You might think that predisposes me to like every production of it, but you would be wrong. I’ve seen some absolute stinkers…unfortunately. However, you’ll be pleased to know that this one is exceptionally good.
Funny, playful, wonderfully musical and brilliantly staged, yet again! The Actors Co-op has on their main stage a wonderful circular apparatus that makes scene changes a pleasure to observe and quick as lightning.
This just adds to the glamor of the whole event I think…and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats waiting for the next magical reveal for this most fabulous play.
And what a play! And what a group of wonderful actors to perform it! Twelfth Night gives ample opportunity for actors to have fun. It’s a classic tale of boy meets girl, girl meets boy and pretends to be a boy, having just survived a shipwreck on an unknown island. There’s also some delightful tomfoolery and playful teasing, a little light and somewhat warranted cruelty, a touch of obsession and a lot of love flying around. It’s a crowd pleaser of a play and needs only to be loved by the cast and creatively staged for it to succeed. In this case, it blew the roof of the theatre – so brilliant and laugh filled a production it is.
Set on some tropical island, you could almost smell the jasmine in the air and feel the gentle breeze blowing the characters this way and that. The costumes are gorgeous, the love stories sweetly coy and believable, the drama intense and the characters flawless.
In short, an utter delight of a production, every scene building tantalizingly on the last, every flirtatious interaction leading to the ultimate love-soaked conclusion. A blissful retelling of one of Shakespeare’s silliest, funniest and most well-loved plays…Bravo!!!
When:
The Actors Co-op’s Twelfth Night is playing until May 12
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:30pm.
Additional Saturday matinees April 13th and May 4th at 2:30pm.
Tickets:
Where:
David Schall Theatre
1760 N Gower St., Los Angeles
The Cast
The cast features the talents of Chloe Babbes (Feste), Freedom (Sebastian Understudy performs April 19, 20, 21, 26, 27 & 28), Gavin Michael Harris (Valentine/Officer/Priest), Britny Horton (Maria), Isaac W. Jay (Toby), Ben Kientz (Captain), Howard Leder (Andrew), Mary Leeholland (Viola), Antwon Mason Jr. (Orsino), Nneka Nnebe (Curio), Victor H. Rodriguez (Sebastian), Kevin Shewey (Fabian), William Viriato (Malvolio), and Jessica Woehler (Olivia).
The Team
The production team includes Michael T. Kachingwe (Director), Lorinda Hawkins Smith (Producer), Royce Correa (Choreographer), Hanalei Vasquez (Set Designer), Kelly Tsan (Costume Designer), Shelia Dorn (Hair/Make-up Designer), Jesse Rodriguez (Lighting Designer), Thulani Kachingwe (Composer/Sound Designer), Crystal Jackson (Production Manager), Kassy Menke (Stage Manager), Emmett Lee Merrit (Assistant Stage Manager), Kellianne Rae Jordan (PR Director/Social Media Manager) and Jessica Woehler (PR Show Manager). Elizabeth Mae Alan (Graphic Arts Design), and Chris Winfield (Set Construction).