TWELFTH NIGHT Digital Program
TWELFTH NIGHT by William Shakespeare
Edited by the Folger Shakespeare Library
Adapted by Carolyn Silverberg
Edited by the Folger Shakespeare Library
Adapted by Carolyn Silverberg
DIRECTOR'S NOTE
“Twelfth Night” is a celebration filled with revelry, eating, and drinking, marking the last day of Christmas and the coming of Epiphany. For one night in Elizabethan England, social roles were upended: servants mingled with their masters, and people adopted and discarded identities at will, creating a temporary topsy-turvy world. Shakespeare’s play captures this same festive spirit: characters fall in love with the "wrong" people, and Illyria is turned upside down into a land of misrule. As Feste the Fool says, “nothing that is so is so.”
But amidst all this folly, we deeply feel for the characters: we grieve with Olivia, laugh with the Knights, sigh with Orsino, empathize with Antonio, hurt with Malvolia, and rejoice with Viola and Sebastian. If there’s one thing you can count on Shakespeare to do, it's delve into the human condition.
Likely written in 1601, around the same time as Hamlet, Twelfth Night marks the end of Shakespeare’s time with the style of comedy he mastered during his first decade as a playwright. In fact, Twelfth Night can be seen as a pivotal moment in the evolution of Shakespearean comedy: it is a play rich with duality, reflecting both the farcical and festive romantic comedies that came before it while also anticipating the darker, more disenchanted tone of the problem plays, as well as the miraculous, bittersweet narratives found in his later romances.
It is this timeless interplay of folly and humanity that continues to draw us to Twelfth Night, reaffirming Shakespeare’s unparalleled ability to reflect the intricacies of life through his plays, and why we continue to perform them to this day, over 400 years later.
Thank you for joining us for our 6th summer of bringing free Shakespeare to Green Bay, and we hope you enjoy your journey to Illyria.
But amidst all this folly, we deeply feel for the characters: we grieve with Olivia, laugh with the Knights, sigh with Orsino, empathize with Antonio, hurt with Malvolia, and rejoice with Viola and Sebastian. If there’s one thing you can count on Shakespeare to do, it's delve into the human condition.
Likely written in 1601, around the same time as Hamlet, Twelfth Night marks the end of Shakespeare’s time with the style of comedy he mastered during his first decade as a playwright. In fact, Twelfth Night can be seen as a pivotal moment in the evolution of Shakespearean comedy: it is a play rich with duality, reflecting both the farcical and festive romantic comedies that came before it while also anticipating the darker, more disenchanted tone of the problem plays, as well as the miraculous, bittersweet narratives found in his later romances.
It is this timeless interplay of folly and humanity that continues to draw us to Twelfth Night, reaffirming Shakespeare’s unparalleled ability to reflect the intricacies of life through his plays, and why we continue to perform them to this day, over 400 years later.
Thank you for joining us for our 6th summer of bringing free Shakespeare to Green Bay, and we hope you enjoy your journey to Illyria.
BIOS
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JERAH DOXTATOR (Antonio/Musician) is a local actor who's performed with many theaters, including (most recently) Play-by-Play Theatre, The Forst Inn and Cardboard Theatre. Recent appearances include: Captain Wallaby's Neighborhood (Cowboy Larry), Cleverly and Comically (Various Roles), Macbeth (Malcolm), Macbeth (Lennox), and Much Ado About Nothing (Don Pedro). Jerah would like to thank Play-by-Play Theatre for providing a fantastic opportunity to perform with people who are so passionate, and his fellow cast members for showing him how much he's yet to learn about Shakespeare at every rehearsal. Thank you. |
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EVAYA GONZALEZ (Fabian) is from Waukesha, WI and a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting and a minor in Arts Management. She is excited for her very first out of college role and to be with Play-by-Play for the first time. She was recently in Eurydice (Little Stone) and The Moors (Moor-hen) at UWSP. She is excited to move to Chicago at the end of summer. Special thanks to her professors, scene partners, friends and family for the never ending support. This one’s for them. evayagonzalez.com |
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SANIBEL HARPER (Viola) began performing at four years old and has been involved in over thirty stage and film productions throughout the Midwest since then. Sanibel is earning her BFA in Acting at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. This is Sanibel’s fourth production with Play-by-Play, as she has portrayed Donalbain/Gentlewoman/Seyton in Macbeth, Hero in Much Ado About Nothing, and Gregory/Apothecary in Romeo and Juliet. She would like to thank everyone involved with Twelfth Night for their encouragement and creative guidance along with her friends and family for their endless support! |
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KARA HEYNE (Feste) is beyond excited to be joining Play-by-Play this season for the first time. While new to the local acting scene, she is also looking forward to projects with The Dinner Detective and Atlas Theater as Puck. She has an MA in English from UW-Oshkosh and teaches writing and literature. In her free time, she dabbles in fiction writing. She dedicates her performance to her family, her squad, and her favorite paladin, Peter. |
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WIL MANNION (Orsino) is a local actor to the Green Bay area and has performed in multiple different stages productions. You may have seen him in Percy the Poor Little Penguin (Percy), Romeo and Juliet (Paris), The Laramie Project (Doc O’Connor & Matt Galloway), and Population: 485 (Jed). He would like to thank his friends and family for their continuous support. |
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CHRIS MAYSE (Sir Toby Belch) holds an MFA in Acting from Ohio University (PATP). He has performed leading roles for regional theaters across the United States including the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival, Door Shakespeare, Milwaukee Rep, Montana Rep, Nevada Conservatory Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company/ Wooden O, and others. Chris has also performed as a guest artist for different academic institutions, as well as production shows on the Las Vegas Strip. He is currently the Artistic Director of Atlas Theatre Company, Director of Education for Studio 170, and produces productions of The Dinner Detective throughout the country. |
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CHELSEA MURPHY (Olivia) has spent the last decade studying and performing across America from New York to California, and even most recently in South Carolina as a professional mermaid. She is honored and exited that her reunion performance back to land is in her home state of Wisconsin with Play-by-Play Theatre. Special thanks to her parents Joe and Corinne Murphy for their continuous support and Appleton North’s theater director Ron Parker for sparking her love of Shakespeare. Stay tuned for her upcoming indie feature “Under a Melted Sky” in 2025 from Meddle Media. |
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GRACE SERGOTT (Maria) is thrilled to be a part of her fourth show with Play-by-Play, previously seen as Malcolm in Macbeth, Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing, and Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet. Grace received her degree in Theatre with concentrations on Performance and Directing from Bradley University. She would like to thank her family and her cat for their endless love and support. Dedicated to her late Uncle Raúl, who started it all. Enjoy the show! |
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TERESA APORTELA SERGOTT (Malvolia) is a graduate of Villanova University with a BA in Religious Studies and a minor in Theatre. Certified in Diversity & Inclusion from Cornell University, she is currently pursuing an MA in Professional Communications from UW-Parkside. Her previous performances with Play-by-Play are Romeo and Juliet (Nurse), The Taming of the Shrew (Baptista), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Peter Quince). She has also acted and directed locally with Theatre Z, Abrams Spotlight Productions, and Evergreen Theatre. She dedicates this performance to her husband, kids, cats, and late brother, Raúl.
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MASON SHEFCHIK (Sebastian) is a recent graduate of UW-Milwaukee’s BFA Musical Theatre program with additional minors in Music and Dance Performance. There, he has appeared in plays, musicals, and dance concerts alike. This is Mason’s debut with Play-by-Play, and he is honored to be doing his first fully staged Shakespeare production with them. He gives thanks to his acting instructors, with a special shout-out to Raeleen McMillion and Marcella Kearns, and to his grandmother for housing him this summer. |
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MARY SPENCER (Valentine/Second Officer) is elated to return to Theatre in the Park in this thoroughly entertaining play. Mary has recently been seen in Evergreen Theater’s Population 485 (Lisa) and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (Jane), The Dinner Detective, and various film roles here and there in the Midwest. Mary wishes to thank to thank Play-by-Play Theatre for another valuable opportunity to learn from the best to continue developing her Shakespeare performance, and also wishes to thank this talented cast for their inspiration and example. Mary is grateful for the support, she has enjoyed every minute of this high-quality production, and knows you will enjoy the show! |
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STEVE WESTERGAN (Captain/Priest) is professor emeritus of humanities at St. Norbert College, where he has appeared in several Shakespeare productions: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, and As You Like It. He was in Play-by-Play’s Much Ado About Nothing in 2022 and Macbeth in 2023, and during all of the rehearsals of Twelfth Night he has felt privileged to work once again with very talented people. He hopes you’ll find the play’s mix of humor and seriousness (even pathos) intriguing and thought-provoking. |
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ERIC D. WESTPHAL (Sir Andrew Aguecheek) has a BA in Theatre from Lawrence University and has been acting for 35 years. This is his fourth production with Play-by-Play, having most recently appeared as Banquo in Macbeth. Some favorite roles include Adult Ralph in A Christmas Story and Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind with Evergreen Theater, and Dillard Nations in Foxfire and Felix Unger in The Odd Couple with Green Bay Community Theater. You can hear Eric weekday afternoons on 103.1 WOGB playing the classic hits. |
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RACHEL ZIOLKOWSKI (Curio/First Officer) is happily spending her fifth consecutive summer with Shakespeare. This is also her fifth production with Play-by-Play. Rachel's previous PbP performances include Grumio in The Taming of the Shrew, Roseanne in the virtual production of Belles, Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet, and Lady Macduff in last summer’s Macbeth. During the school year, Rachel teaches elementary music in Manitowoc. Thank you for supporting the arts, and enjoy the show! |
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CAROLYN SILVERBERG (Director) earned her MA in Shakespeare from Royal Holloway University of London, and her BA in Theatre from St. Norbert College. In addition to directing Play-by-Play’s Shakespeare shows since 2019, she also directed their hit production tick, tick… BOOM! last year. Outside of PbP, Carolyn has performed & directed for numerous local organizations, and has been a Shakespearean guest speaker for: The Monday Shakespeare Club, Collegiate School (NYC), St. Norbert College Theatre Studies, Kimberly High School, Ashwaubenon High School, Preble Players, and the Muscota New School Bard Club (her elementary school in NYC where her love of Shakespeare began). For dad, always. carolynsilverberg.com |
PLOT SYNOPSIS
Orsino, Duke of lllyria, is despairing that he is spurned by the Countess Olivia. She has forsworn men's company for seven years while she mourns the death of her brother and rebuffs all his advances. Nearby, a Captain arrives on shore with a young girl, Viola, whom he has rescued from a storm at sea. Viola laments the loss of her twin brother, Sebastian, in the shipwreck. She resolves to fend for herself by dressing as a boy to get work as a page to Duke Orsino.
Orsino sends his new page Cesario (Viola in disguise) to court Olivia for him. Cesario/Viola fell in love at first sight with Orsino, so she goes to court Olivia unwillingly. To make matters more complicated, Olivia continues to reject Orsino but is attracted to Cesario. She sends her proud steward, Malvolia, after him with a ring. Thus, a genuine love triangle arises between Olivia, Viola/Cesario, and Orsino.
Meanwhile, members of Olivia's household plot to expose the self-love and aspirations of the steward, Malvolia. These include Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch, her servants, Maria & Fabian, and Sir Toby's friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Sir Andrew also happens to be seeking the hand of Olivia. Together, they use a letter to trick Malvolia into believing Olivia loves her. The letter demands that Malvolia appear in yellow stockings, cross-gartered, and smiling to show her love for Olivia. Meanwhile, Viola's twin brother, Sebastian, has also survived the shipwreck. He comes to Illyria with his sea-captain friend, Antonio, who is a wanted man for former piracy against Orsino.
Sir Andrew's affections for Olivia lead him to be jealous of Cesario, and he decides to declare a duel between them. Thanks to a prank by Sir Toby, both Andrew and Cesario believe that their opponents intend to fight to the death. They both shirk the fight. However, Antonio passes by and mistakes Cesario for Sebastian, and intervenes to defend his friend. He is recognized by Orsino's men and arrested. Later, Sebastian comes along and is challenged by Sir Andrew, who thinks he is Cesario. Olivia intervenes and invites Sebastian into the house, also thinking him to be Cesario. Olivia and Sebastian are married that night.
Malvolia, held in the dungeon for being a madman, is psychologically tortured by Maria, Sir Toby, and Feste, the court fool. Feste dresses up as a priest to convince Malvolia that she is, in fact, mad. After realizing that they might get into trouble for treating Malvolia this way, they allow her a pen and paper to be able to write a letter to Olivia.
Antonio is brought to talk with Orsino, and upon seeing Cesario, he accuses him of betrayal. Just then, the real Sebastian arrives to apologize for fighting Sir Toby. The twins see each other and discover that they are both alive. Malvolia is released from her imprisonment, and after the plot against her is revealed she departs promising revenge.
The play ends as Orsino approves the union between Olivia and Sebastian. Realizing his own attraction to 'Cesario', Orsino promises that once Viola is dressed as a woman again, they will be married as well.
Source: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/
Orsino sends his new page Cesario (Viola in disguise) to court Olivia for him. Cesario/Viola fell in love at first sight with Orsino, so she goes to court Olivia unwillingly. To make matters more complicated, Olivia continues to reject Orsino but is attracted to Cesario. She sends her proud steward, Malvolia, after him with a ring. Thus, a genuine love triangle arises between Olivia, Viola/Cesario, and Orsino.
Meanwhile, members of Olivia's household plot to expose the self-love and aspirations of the steward, Malvolia. These include Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch, her servants, Maria & Fabian, and Sir Toby's friend, Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Sir Andrew also happens to be seeking the hand of Olivia. Together, they use a letter to trick Malvolia into believing Olivia loves her. The letter demands that Malvolia appear in yellow stockings, cross-gartered, and smiling to show her love for Olivia. Meanwhile, Viola's twin brother, Sebastian, has also survived the shipwreck. He comes to Illyria with his sea-captain friend, Antonio, who is a wanted man for former piracy against Orsino.
Sir Andrew's affections for Olivia lead him to be jealous of Cesario, and he decides to declare a duel between them. Thanks to a prank by Sir Toby, both Andrew and Cesario believe that their opponents intend to fight to the death. They both shirk the fight. However, Antonio passes by and mistakes Cesario for Sebastian, and intervenes to defend his friend. He is recognized by Orsino's men and arrested. Later, Sebastian comes along and is challenged by Sir Andrew, who thinks he is Cesario. Olivia intervenes and invites Sebastian into the house, also thinking him to be Cesario. Olivia and Sebastian are married that night.
Malvolia, held in the dungeon for being a madman, is psychologically tortured by Maria, Sir Toby, and Feste, the court fool. Feste dresses up as a priest to convince Malvolia that she is, in fact, mad. After realizing that they might get into trouble for treating Malvolia this way, they allow her a pen and paper to be able to write a letter to Olivia.
Antonio is brought to talk with Orsino, and upon seeing Cesario, he accuses him of betrayal. Just then, the real Sebastian arrives to apologize for fighting Sir Toby. The twins see each other and discover that they are both alive. Malvolia is released from her imprisonment, and after the plot against her is revealed she departs promising revenge.
The play ends as Orsino approves the union between Olivia and Sebastian. Realizing his own attraction to 'Cesario', Orsino promises that once Viola is dressed as a woman again, they will be married as well.
Source: https://www.shakespeare.org.uk/
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WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. His birthday is most commonly celebrated on April 23rd which is also believed to be the date he died in 1616. Shakespeare was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages of British theatre. Shakespeare's work includes 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems. Shakespeare’s legacy is as rich and diverse as his work; his plays have spawned countless adaptations across multiple genres and cultures. His plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film. William Shakespeare continues to be one of the most important literary figures of the English language. |
SPECIAL THANKS
Our Donors
Downtown Green Bay & Olde Main Street Inc.
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103.1 WOGB
Studio 12
Original music for Curio by Rachel Ziolkowski
Downtown Green Bay & Olde Main Street Inc.
Heritage Hill
103.1 WOGB
Studio 12
Original music for Curio by Rachel Ziolkowski