Strong cast makes ‘Twelfth Night’ a treat for theatergoers

The atmosphere of the Ruth N. Halls Theatre was rowdy Friday night after the curtain rose.\nThe opening night of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” was uproarious. Its colorful, charismatic cast kept audience members captivated and chuckling in their seats. Graduate student Allison Moody plays Viola, a woman who is shipwrecked in the show’s opening scene. Stranded and alone, Viola believes her brother to have died in the crash. With the help of a sailor, she dresses as a man, calls herself Cesario and obtains a job in the court of Duke Orsino. \nViola soon falls in love with Orsino, played by senior Nick Arapoglou, but is unable to voice her feelings for fear she will give away her disguise.\nMeanwhile, the duke sends Cesario, his messenger, to express his love for a lady named Olivia. Olivia, played by graduate student Lilia Vassileva, wants nothing to do with the duke’s affection, but instead finds herself falling in love with the young messenger. Vassileva is excellent as Olivia, showing Olivia’s transformation from repressed to unrefined without a hitch. \nMoody’s performance is subtle but outstanding. She plays the wide-eyed Viola naturally and gives a terrific spin to the character.\nAlongside Viola’s love triangle, a terrific subplot emerges. Graduate student Jeff Grafton plays the outrageous Sir Toby, uncle to Olivia and a drunkard to boot. With his sidekick, Andrew Aguecheek, an exaggeratedly effeminate character played by graduate student Matthew Buffalo, Toby plans to win his niece’s affection for Andrew. Grafton is wonderful as the boisterous, lovable drunk. His character is a perfect compliment to Buffalo’s, and both are a delight to watch. \nThe two become tricksters when prompted by Olivia’s chambermaid Maria, played by senior Lindsey Charles, to prank a member of Olivia’s staff. Graduate student Eric VanTielen is superb as the stuck-up steward Malvolio, the object of the threesome’s tricks. His performance is flawless and side-splittingly funny. \nSenior Joanne Dubach adds more hilarity to the performance as Feste, Olivia’s “fool.” Her performance as the omnipresent entertainer is filled with energy. \n“Twelfth Night” is highly recommended and will continue showing at 7:30 p.m. today through March 3 in the Ruth N. Halls Theatre. Tickets are $13 to $16 and can be purchased at the IU Auditorium Box Office or through Ticketmaster. Student rush tickets for $10 are available the day of each show with a valid IU student ID. For more information, visit www.indiana.edu/~thtr.