Twelfth Night

Synopsis

Working on Olivia's scenes from Twelfth Night, exploring her transformation from mourning aristocrat to passionate pursuer of the disguised Viola/Cesario. Olivia's journey examines themes of desire, gender, and social convention.

Impressions

Playing Olivia with Dr. Robert Cohen allowed me to explore Shakespeare's complex portrayal of female desire and the comedy that emerges when social roles are disrupted. Olivia's pursuit of Cesario (the disguised Viola) required understanding how grief can suddenly transform into passion and how love makes fools of even the most controlled people. Dr. Cohen's coaching helped me find the humor in Olivia's situation without mocking her genuine feelings or reducing her to a comic stereotype. The scenes demanded exploration of how Olivia's social position as a wealthy countess both empowers and constrains her romantic choices. Working with Shakespeare's gender-bending comedy taught me about the fluidity of attraction and how disguise reveals rather than conceals essential truths about character. Olivia's confidence in pursuing what she wants, despite social conventions about female behavior, resonated with contemporary themes about women's agency and desire. The scene work enhanced my understanding of Shakespearean comedy structure and how individual character journeys serve larger themes about love, identity, and social transformation. Dr. Cohen's direction helped me balance Olivia's aristocratic bearing with her vulnerability and growing desperation as her feelings deepen.

Company

Produced by University of California, Irvine (Wikipedia).