When stepping foot into a production bearing the name William Shakespeare, “funky” may not be the last word that springs to mind, but it’s not far from it. However, UW-Superior’s production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” provides its viewers with a psychedelic experience they won’t shortly forget. Under Sean Naughton’s direction, the production sometimes feels as though it is not sure exactly where it would like to be, but as the play goes on, it begins to show that in your confusion, it hides its charm.
With a lighting, decoration, and dress combo that throws the audience into the middle of everywhere and nowhere all at once, theatergoers are then drawn into the actors themselves, who all completely deliver on Shakespeare’s everlasting promise of a good time.
While the entire cast was uproariously funny, stand out performances from the likes of Lexi Kelch, Jake Edwards, Jack Gilbert, and Andy Hill drive the cast throughout the performance as they take the audience along on Shakespeare’s magic carpet ride that is “Twelfth Night”.
Malvolio (played by Andy Hill) delighted audiences with his comical attempts to win the heart of Olivia (played by Hailey Bault) Photo by : Xavier Walt | The Promethean
As final bows are taken, the show almost takes on different meaning, on of vindication for the UW-Superior theatre veteran Hill who, despite claiming to me that before UWS he had seldom anticipated comically centered roles, particularly flourishes in his largest role to date, commanding every eye from every audience, proving Naughton’s knack for exceptional casting, a consistent theme throughout his tenure at the school.
UW-Superior’s Spring 2025 theatrical season ends with its opera productions of “The Brontë Sisters: Retrospection” and “Trial By Jury”, which, while promising to provide captivating experiences themselves, will be hard pressed to be as memorable and funkadelic as “Twelfth Night”.
