Gamm: ‘Twelfth Night’ Returns March 21

WARWICK, RI — Fans of the acclaimed 2005 Gamm: ‘Twelfth Night’ production, or those who missed it, can mark their calendars for March 21 when the theater’s four-week run of the play begins.

Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella and Associate Artistic Director Rachel Walshe co-direct the Bard’s famous comedy, a web of misdirected love and unexpected poignancy woven by a cast of unforgettable characters.

Estrella said he’s eager to revisit Gamm: ‘Twelfth Night’ after having directed The Gamm’s critically and popularly acclaimed 2005 production.

“Almost two decades later, it is past time to revisit Shakespeare’s greatest comedy, and I mean comedy in the most expansive sense. It is the funniest, most delightful, most powerfully moving and true play about love ever penned.”

Shakespeare’s timeless comedy still has the power to entertain and enthrall modern audiences, Walshe said.

“You would be hard pressed to find another play that hits the high notes of joy and hilarity as fully as it hits the deep notes of pain and loss. Never bound by the limits of genre, Shakespeare has crafted a story that remains as moving as it is funny, as silly as it is revelatory. I can’t wait to share it with our audiences.”

During the Gamm: ‘Twelfth Night’, signature take on Shakespeare, theater goers will experience mistaken identities, gender bending, and twins lost at sea, love unrequited, and love triumphant. This buoyant comedy, populated with some of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters and clowns, has something for everyone. Penned in the celebratory spirit of Tudor England’s post-Christmas Twelfth Night festival, the Bard’s brilliant satire explores the mutable nature of gender, sexuality, and social standing with heart and humor.

Alison Russo (Dora in An Octoroon) and Michael Liebhauser (Isaac in Describe the Night) are shipwrecked twins Viola and Sebastian, the characters at the core of this convoluted romantic comedy. Donnla Hughes as Olivia (Yevgenia in Describe the Night), Cedric Lilly as Duke Orsino (Yeshua in Paul), Deb Martin as Malvolio (Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and Jeff Church as Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Vova in Describe the Night) are all players in a hilarious game of unrequited love.

Support for the production was prvided by Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Navigant Credit Union is this play’s sponsor, and Rhode Island State Council on the Arts is a season supporter.

Twelfth Night runs March 21-April 14 at The Gamm Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, R.I. Tickets: $55-$65; preview performances (March 21-24) just $38 at 401-723-4266 or gammtheatre.org/twelfth. Information about Friday night pay-what-you-wish tickets, as well as discounts for seniors, students, groups and more at gammtheatre.org/discounts.