Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks, the city’s professional outdoor Shakespeare company founded by Artistic Director Jennifer Tober, celebrates 20 years of free Shakespeare in Pittsburgh city parks and spaces.
Opening on August 31st and running each September weekend, Twelfth Night tells the story of a set of twins – a brother and sister – Sebastian and Viola, who are separated during a shipwreck. Each grieving that the other is dead, they make their way to a new and enchanted island named Illyria.
A society in limbo, Illyria, is held captive by loss. That is until a sea-drenched stranger arrives and unexpectedly unleashes love’s chaotic and transformative power. As usual in Shakespeare, hilarity ensues when cases of mistaken and hidden identity cause great chaos, romance, obsession, and heartbreak.
Come prepared to play – what happens in Illyria stays in Illyria.
PSiP’s production takes a tropical twist to one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, in this immersive reimagining of mistaken identity, music, and unrequited love replete with live music, disco, beach balls, baby pools, big hats, and teeny bikinis. “This exotic excursion will cause immense joy and compulsion to sing along to tons of fun music, toss a beach ball, and dance in the aisles,” says the production’s director, Nick Hrutkay.
Veteran PSiP favorites Catherine Baird and Lexi Hellinger star as the twins, with Aaron Crutchfield and Harper York as the romantic leads, Duke Orsino and Countess Olivia, respectively. Artistic Director Jennifer Tober, consistently delighting in playing a goofball, plays one of the famous clowns, Andrew Aguecheek, alongside the hilarious pair of Rachel Pfennigwerth as Maria and Bob Colbert as Sir Toby Belch. Recent Point Park graduates Colin Villacorte as the jester Feste and Mexican actor Alvaro Munoz as Antonio are new to the company. The inimitable comedienne Joanna Getting rounds out the cast as the infamous villain Malvolio, sporting her trademark “yellow stockings.”
“Nick is so imaginative and specific in his direction and just gets the whole cast so excited about his vision that we cannot wait to share it with our audiences and fans out in the parks. Expect to play beach ball, sing along, dance in the aisles with the cast members, and maybe even take a dip in the baby pool. We’re so lucky to have Nick at the helm and have the creative and master-of-puns Music Director Matt Calvetti, who not only adapts songs to use during the performance but writes his own music and then plays live during each show. This is something really special that does not often happen in Shakespeare; Matt is just a wizard at having our musical choices support Shakespeare’s script,” says Tober.
The production’s creatives include Richard Lyle as Costumer and Samantha Kuchta as the set and prop designer. Shana Simmons, who last worked with PSiP for Hamlet, returns as Choreographer.
“I personally find so much joy in bringing free professional Shakespeare to audiences in our city parks. It is really just a joyful event, and bringing people together in our parks helps create stronger and more peaceful communities. We are not only entertaining and educating, and making people feel great, but we are also strengthening the fabric of our community and building the audiences of tomorrow,” Tober says.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
PSiP’s Twelfth Night has performances on:
- Aug 31-Sept 1: Highland Park (Noon)
- Sept 7-8: Highland Park (2 PM)
- Sept 13: Schenley Plaza (6 PM, limited seating)
- Sept 14-15: Westinghouse Park, Homewood (2 PM)
- Sept 21, 22, 28, 29: Frick Park, Squirrel Hill (2 PM)
All shows are FREE! Donations are welcomed, and each performance features pre-show storytelling and workshops.
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Categories: Arts and Ideas, Show Previews
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