“Twelfth Night” at Cumberland Players

One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, Twelfth Night focuses upon siblings Viola and Sebastian, separated by a shipwreck. Viola lands in Illyria, where she disguises herself and works for Duke Orsino, who quickly enlists her in wooing the Lady Olivia, but the Lady appears to be falling for the messenger instead. Shakespeare complicates the plot by giving Olivia a drunken uncle, Sir Toby Belch, and two unsuitable suitors, the weak and foolish Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and her steward, Malvolio, tricked by members of the household into believing she loves him. More important to the play than to the plot is the clown, Feste, a wry commentator whose "wit in folly" is opposed to Malvolio’s "folly in wit."