It's All About the Comedy

When Shakespeare wrote “Twelfth Night,� the audience attending comedies during the Elizabethan era expected broad humor and simple story lines. In the current production at Shakespeare & Co., that is exactly what they would get. Director Jonathan Croy, one of S&C’s stalwart actors, has staged his show with strong emphasis on the laughs while minimizing the major plot. This “Twelfth Night� is just plain fun.

The major story concerning Viola, Olivia and Duke Orsino is a common Elizabethan conceit involving mistaken identities, women posing as men, and myriad people finding true love. The predictable events in this production are strengthened through the exuberant performances delivered by Merritt Janson (Viola) and Elizabeth Raetz (Olivia). Duane Allen Robinson’s Orsino is properly moody and lovelorn in his unfulfilled pursuit of Olivia.

But it is the three clowns, Feste (Robert Biggs), Sir Toby Belch (Nigel Gore) and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Ryan Winkles), who drive the production as they, along with Lady Olivia’s servant Maria (Corinna May), plot to serve Malvolio (Ken Cheeseman) his comeuppance. Malvolio, Olivia’s steward, is a pompous, self-important martinet who lords over his underlings. The energy of these five performers buttressed by the physical shtick devised by Croy raises this sub-plot to sublime heights.

The multi-talented Biggs almost steals the show. He is not only a fine and understated actor, but he plays various instruments, sings original music he has composed with Company members Bill Barclay and Alexander Sovronsky, and leads the audience in a sing-along during intermission. In fact, there are several opportunities for unpressured audience participation throughout the show.

Gore’s Belch is a rascal whose delight in drink does not prevent him from enjoying the conspiracy. His broad characterization is textured with subtle line readings that suggest the ne’er-do-well’s knowledge of people and life. Aguecheek is joyously rendered by Winkles, whose sweetness creates a lovable bumpkin. He uses his voice and body to find laughs in virtually all his lines.

The spare set designed by director Croy and the lighting of Les Dickert are unobtrusive, allowing the audience to focus on the words and actions of the energetic cast. The costumes of Govane Lohbauer are richly colorful.

There are a number of enjoyable anachronisms that add to the manic quality of the show, including Shakespearean language spoken with a Jamaican accent.

The production ends on a “happily ever after� note, but that is not how Shakespeare wrote it. There is a darker side to the play that has been minimized, including a very harsh conclusion. What is offered, however, is a grand evening in the theater.

“Twelfth Night� runs through Sept. 5. For reservations, call 413-637-3353.