Theatre Review: Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night is presented by Actors Co-Op. Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Michael T. Kachingwe. Produced by Lorinda Hawkins Smith.

This production transfers the story from the Balkans to the South Pacific. It is also set in a recent past. This departure from the original setting gives the story a fresh look at Shakespeare’s themes of romance and European affairs. As expected, the costumes and the music reflect the change of place and culture.

The new setting allows Director Michael T. Kachingwe to give the characters in this production a historical context in relation to the location where the story takes place. The characters of Antonio and Sea Captain (Ben Kientz) have the look of pirates, outcasts that navigated the islands of the South Pacific in the past. Duke Orsino (Antwon Mason Jr.) and Maria (Britny Horton) have the looks of natives from the islands. Viola/Cesario (Mary Leeholland), on the other hand, has a European look, a hint to the European influence on those lands. This staging, however, does not seem to be a political statement on the history of the islands. After all, Twelfth Night is mainly a story with romance and comedy at the center, and Kachingwe keeps it that way. As for the sexual fluidity implied in the play, Kachingwe expresses this concept not only in the characters of Viola and Cesario but also in Feste, a male character played by a female actress, Chloe Babbes.

Talking about Babbes, her comedic and musical talents are engaging and add a playful and mischievous tone to the play. Along with Babbes, William Viriato is the other actor with a sensational sense of comedy. He does a fantastic personification of Malvolio, triggering the loudest laughs with his inventiveness and physical comedy, connecting with the audience immediately.

One thing to point out is that in the original script, Viola and Sebastian (Victor H. Rodriguez) are twins and look alike. In this production, however, Leeholland and Rodriguez do not necessarily look alike. This could be intentional, as this version of the play is modern rather than classical. This could or could not be noticed by the audience, depending on their familiarity with Twelfth Night.

This version highlights the comedy and musicality of the play. Except for the text, the costumes, setting, and music, give this staging a contemporaneous feel to Shakespeare’s story. This production feels closer to Antaeus‘ production of The Tempest, a version that also highlighted the musical aspect of the play.

Kachingwe’s production is a valuable rendition of a classical story with a twist more attuned to our times. It also serves as an opportunity to showcase a diverse group of talent that refreshes the theatre scene. At the same time, the major themes of the script are kept. intact. The love, the loyalty, the melancholy, and mainly the comedy are at the heart of this performance. Co-Op‘s offers another excellent play to explore new possibilities using one of the best comedies written by William Shakespeare.

Twelfth Night

Actors Co-Op’s David Schall Theatre

1760 N. Gower Street, Hollywood 90028

On the campus of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood

April 5 – May 12, 2024

Friday and Saturday Evenings at 7:30 pm

Sunday Matinees at 2:30 pm

Additional Saturday Matinees April 13th & May 4th at 2:30 pm

Ticketsactorsco-op.org

Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Michael T. Kachingwe. Produced by Lorinda Hawkins Smith.

Cast: Chloe BabbesFreedom (U/S), Gavin Michael Harris, Britny Horton, Isaac W. Jay, Ben Kientz, Howard Leder, Mary Leeholland, Antwon Mason Jr., Nneka, Victor H. Rodriguez, Kevin Shewey, William Viriato, and Jessica Woehler.

Creative team: Scenic designer Hanalei Vasquez, costume designer Kelly Tsan, lighting designer Jesse Rodriguez, sound designer Thulani Kachingwe, hair and makeup designer Shelia Dorn, stage manager Kassy Menke, assistant stage manager Emmett Lee Merritt, choreographer Royce Correa, and set construction by Chris Winfield.

Theatre Review: Lewis and Tolkien

The World Premiere of Lewis and Tolkien is presented by the award-winning Actors Co-op Theatre Company in association with MWO Productions. Written and directed by Dean Batali. Produced for Actors Co-op by Marc Whitmore, Lori Berg, and Rob Loos.

In Lewis and Tolkien, Playwright and Director Dean Batali explores the dynamics of the close relationship between C.S. Lewis (Phil Crowley) and J.R.R. Tolkien (Michael Beattie), two of the most influential fantasy writers of the 20th century. But the play also delves into the issues that made them grow apart over the years.

The arrival of fellow writer Charles Williams to the Inklings group didn’t sit well with Tolkien. He thought that Williams was replacing his special friendship with Lewis. Even after William’s death, the relationship between Tolkien and Lewis was never the same again. Straining their relationship even more, Tolkien didn’t show any kind of empathy when Lewis’ wife, Joy Davidman, passed away. A devout Catholic, Tolkien didn’t approved of their marriage. He believed that they were living in sin, as Davidman was still married to her first husband when she started the relationship with Lewis. 

Batali, however, focuses his writing in the probability of seeing the two writers trying to make amends to their strained relationship later in life. Batali pierces the artistic veil and takes a look at the creative process of both writers and their mutual encouragement that boosted their imagination when they experienced the dreadful writer’s block stage. The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia are masterpieces that awakened the imagination of avid readers around the globe. But those fantastical stories went far beyond that, they also inspired people to turn fantasy into reality to achieve their dreams. The character of Veronica (Bianca Akbiyik), the barmaid at the Eagle and
Child Pub, is the eyes of the audience, a curious young woman familiar with The Lord of The Rings but who has yet to discover The Chronicles of Narnia—let’s not forget that the play is set in 1963. Veronica is a symbol of the writer’s followers that have been influenced by the myth and the powerful messages of the worlds depicted in those books.

Batali resisted the temptation to incur in over sentimentalism, rather, he explores the deep philosophical and spiritual dynamics in the relationship between Lewis and Tolkien. They do express their emotions, but the main focus of their conversation is the mutual support to keep exploring, questioning, and reassuring their religious beliefs and creativity, in an attempt to make their respective writings more meaningful and impactful.

The play implies that the writings left behind echo some kind of regrets from both writers, mainly for the lack of mutual support when they needed it the most. And that is one of the deepest messages of the play: Make amends before it’s too late.

The set design is excellent, full of details to take the audience back to the Rabbit Room, right in the middle of Oxford. It was in that room where Lewis and Tolkien’s writings reached new heights, stimulating each other with debate, humor, intelligence, and sometimes, with pints of beer.

Lewis and Tolkien

Actor Co-op Theatre Company at Crossley Theatre

1760 N. Gower St., on the campus of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood

Hollywood, CA 90028

October 27 – December 3, 2023 *No Show Friday, November 24*
Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm (New Time!)
Sundays at 2:30 pm
Additional Saturday Matinees at 2:30 pm: Nov. 4, Nov. 25 and Dec. 2.

Ticketswww.actorsco-op.org

Written and directed by Dean Batali. Cast: Phil Crowley as C.S Lewis, Michael Beattie as
J.R.R. Tolkien and Bianca Akbiyik as Veronica. Creative team: Joel Daavid (Set Designer), Martha Carter (Lighting Designer), Chris Moscatiello (Sound Designer), Vicki Conrad (Costume Designer), Colleen Darling (Stage Manager) and Beth Batali (Assistant Stage Manager). Produced for Actors Co-op by Marc Whitmore, Lori Berg and Rob Loos.