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Shakespeares Twelfth Night to be presented Feb. 8-10, Feb. 15-17 at St. Olaf College

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January 29, 2001

NORTHFIELD, Minn. ? Twelfth Night, a romantic Shakespeare comedy, opens Thursday, Feb 8, for a two-week run at St. Olaf College.

The play, presented by the St. Olaf Communication and Theater Department, will be at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8-10 and Feb. 15-17. All performances will be in Kelsey Theater of the Communication-Theater Building. Tickets ($6) may be reserved by calling the theater box office at (507) 646-8987, or may be picked up in the Communication-Theater Building Monday through Friday from 1-4 p.m.

The performance is being directed by St. Olaf communication and theater faculty member Dona Werner Freeman.

Often described as a traditional romantic comedy, Twelfth Night is comprised of many elements, including devices of mistaken identity, separated twins and gender-crossing disguise in a plot illustrating what people will do to overcome obstacles to "true" love.

Olivia, a beautiful countess, is sought after by the young Duke Orsino, but in her grief over her brother?s death, Olivia rejects the Duke and enters into a period of seclusion. Viola, the chief protagonist, upon hearing that her brother also is presumed dead, disguises herself as young man in the Duke?s court. In her guise Viola is openly embraced by the Duke and sent on his behalf to persuade Olivia to accept the wedding proposal. Through an ironic twist of fate, Viola falls in love with the Duke, and Olivia falls in love with the disguised Viola (Cesario) as the play concludes.

The St. Olaf production is set in the year 1905, and leans toward the melancholy as well as the comical, exploring how grief and loss bring about personal reinvention. Olivia and Viola appear to be two halves of the same whole, yet are polarized by their differing reactions to their brothers? deaths. Olivia cloaks herself in the rituals of grieving while Viola, in a sense, becomes her brother.

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Twelfth Night at St. Olaf College ? 2

An ensemble piece, Twelfth Night contains a wide array of eccentric and often hilarious characters. The theme of loss is balanced by comic lessons learned through other characters such as the overly prideful servant Malvolio and his foils, Sir Toby Belch and Andrew Aguecheek.

The play?s student cast includes: Calypso Grubb of Aurora, Colo., Brandon Hillard of Brunswick, Maine, Julie LaChance of Highlands Ranch, Colo., Kiersti Medtlie of Mequon, Wis., Peter Middlecamp of South St. Paul, Minn., Kristina Mitchell of Cordova, Tenn., Alex Morf of Mount Vernon, Iowa, Ryan Petros of Kaukauna, Wis., Sarah Rasmussen of Sisseton, S.D.,

Mike Shoemaker of Detroit Lakes, Minn., Jesse St. Louis of Northfield, Minn., David "Rudy" Utter of St. Paul, Minn., David Wagner of Apple Valley, Minn., Erik Wallin of St. Paul, Minn., Jenny Wisnowski of Barrington, Ill., and Aaron Wulff of West Coxsacki, N.Y.

The student production staff includes Liz Braaten of Nerstrand, Minn., Andy Cramblit of Mankato, Minn., Lee Henderson of Edina, Minn., Beth Kinderman of Eau Claire, Wis., Kira Lace of Andover, Minn., Sheree Peterson of Canby, Minn., Brenna Rausch of Rapid City, S.D., Alisha Spielmann of New Brighton, Minn., David Valento of Blaine, Minn., and Liesl Werner of Bloomington, Minn.

Director Dona Werner Freeman earned a bachelor?s degree in speech-theater education from St. Olaf College and a master of fine arts in theater from the University of Minnesota.

St. Olaf College prepares students to become responsible citizens of the world, fostering development of mind, body and spirit. A four-year, coeducational liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), St. Olaf has a student enrollment of 2,950 and a full-time faculty of approximately 250. It is one of Money Guide?s top 100 "elite values in college education today," and it leads the nation?s colleges in percentage of students who study abroad.

Contact Michael Cooper at 507-786-3315 or cooperm@stolaf.edu.