Spend an evening with the Bard
Lony Less
Issue date: 10/10/06 Section: Lifestyles
Performances of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," or "What You Will," will begin this week at the Dunham Hall Theater.
SIUE professor Peter Cocuzza, who has been at SIUE for 12 years, is directing the production.
"This is a fun play," Cocuzza said. "It's a fun play to watch and a good example of a Shakespearean comedy, with no big message intended, except a good time. It's even possible, when it was first performed in Shakespeare's day, that some of the characters' names were possibly real people in the audience."
Cocuzza described the play's setting, and what direction he chose to interpret his vision of "Twelfth Night" to the audience.
"It takes place in a mythical place called Illyria," Cocuzza said. "The style of it takes a different turn on the typical Elizabethan time period, but we didn't take too many liberties to stray away from it either."
Cocuzza chose the play's background and incidental music.
"We used a lot of Renaissance instruments," Cocuzza said, "like the mandolin, guitar, concertina and accordion. We wanted it to sound Elizabethan, but with a French cafe, Mediterranean-type of sound, with a few modern pieces thrown in as well."
Cocuzza worked closely with professor James Wulfsong, who is the director of design and theater technology at SIUE. Together they created a unique stage design consisting of a few pieces previously used in "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Little Shop of Horrors."
The stage will consist of a double-revolving circular platform, making use of the orchestral pit in the center to allow scenes to be brought up from below.
Wulfsong explained the complexity involved with using this set.
"The revolving stage has two separate parts, an inner and an outer part,"?Wulfsong said. "It is driven by people power living inside the set, which will include myself and others providing the manpower, being unseen by the audience."
According to Wulfsong, stage design in Shakespeare's time and the modern theater differ greatly, presenting a challenge to stage design.
SIUE professor Peter Cocuzza, who has been at SIUE for 12 years, is directing the production.
"This is a fun play," Cocuzza said. "It's a fun play to watch and a good example of a Shakespearean comedy, with no big message intended, except a good time. It's even possible, when it was first performed in Shakespeare's day, that some of the characters' names were possibly real people in the audience."
Cocuzza described the play's setting, and what direction he chose to interpret his vision of "Twelfth Night" to the audience.
"It takes place in a mythical place called Illyria," Cocuzza said. "The style of it takes a different turn on the typical Elizabethan time period, but we didn't take too many liberties to stray away from it either."
Cocuzza chose the play's background and incidental music.
"We used a lot of Renaissance instruments," Cocuzza said, "like the mandolin, guitar, concertina and accordion. We wanted it to sound Elizabethan, but with a French cafe, Mediterranean-type of sound, with a few modern pieces thrown in as well."
Cocuzza worked closely with professor James Wulfsong, who is the director of design and theater technology at SIUE. Together they created a unique stage design consisting of a few pieces previously used in "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Little Shop of Horrors."
The stage will consist of a double-revolving circular platform, making use of the orchestral pit in the center to allow scenes to be brought up from below.
Wulfsong explained the complexity involved with using this set.
"The revolving stage has two separate parts, an inner and an outer part,"?Wulfsong said. "It is driven by people power living inside the set, which will include myself and others providing the manpower, being unseen by the audience."
According to Wulfsong, stage design in Shakespeare's time and the modern theater differ greatly, presenting a challenge to stage design.
Be the first to comment on this story