Culture

ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio University’s Tantrum Theater will present William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night also known as What You Will, directed by guest artist and retired School of Theater professor Shelley Delaney, in Ohio University’s Forum Theater in the RTV Building, from Nov 9-11 and 15-18 at 8 p.m. There will also be a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Nov. 18.

A shipwreck in perilous waters creates a sea of confusion on land in Shakespeare’s freewheeling romcom of loss, longing, mistaken identity, obsession, revenge and madness. Anything can happen in coastal Illyria, where characters leap in heart first: transcending gender, upending propriety, spurning noise ordinances, or… What You Will!

An ensemble of students performs Shakespeare’s most musical comedy with the assistance of professional visiting guest artists. The full cast list can be found online here.

Assisting Delaney includes Actor’s Equity Association guest artists Chivas Michael (Sir Toby), Steven Strafford (Sir Andrew) and Leslie Ann Boyden (Stage Manager), set design by MFA design student Hannah Carey, costumes by theater faculty member C. David Russell, lighting design by Tantrum Artistic Director Michael Lincoln, composition and sound design by guest artist and OHIO alum Megan “Deets” Culley, music direction by guest artist and OHIO alum Devin Sudman and sound engineering by local guest artist Drew Krag. A full list of those part of the crew is available here.

A live streaming of the production is also available for select performances. Running time for the show is approximately two hours and 15 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission. An ASL performance is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 16, with a cast talkbacks on Nov. 11 and 16, following the show.

Tickets are on sale now and available here. They can also be purchased the day of the performance at the venue, but seat availability is not guaranteed. Tickets prices start at $10 and are based on seating location. Students with a valid OHIO ID can purchase $5 discount tickets or free limited “rush” tickets the night of the show, based on availability.

Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, or “What You Will” is part of the 2023-24 theater season, which also includes productions by The College of Fine Arts’ School of Theater, and the student-run Vibrancy Theater, each presenting live, staged shows at venues in Athens, Ohio.