A Tale of Two Twelfth Nights: Twelfth Night presented by University of the Fraser Valley Theater, March 3 – 20 2016, and Trinity Western University Theater, March 29 – April 9 2016

Abstract

This theater review examines two productions of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night that were performed in the Spring of 2016 by two different universities in neighboring cities. While it is suprising enough with the great multitude of plays to choose from that two drama departments in such close proximity would select the same play in the same season, the two departments both took their presentation of the play in vastly different directions.

One production chose to highlight the revelry of Epiphany, the homoerotic elements of the play, and the power of love. The other emphasised the theme of over-indulgence and downplayed the homoerotic elements. These two contrasting productions highlight the richness of the conflicting themes in some of Shakespeares work and the importance of the reader's/viewer's role in interpretation.