NATCHITOCHES – The Saturday, March 19 2 p.m. matinee performance of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” performed by Northwestern State University Theatre and Dance will provide closed captioning for those who are deaf/hard of hearing.

“We hope this added feature will make it possible for more people to enjoy this outstanding play,” said Brett Garfinkel, chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Tickets are $15 and $12 for senior citizens. NSU, Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts students are admitted free with a current I.D. Those attending are asked to wear a mask in keeping with School of Creative and Performing Arts protocol. For ticket information, contact the Theatre Box Office at (318) 357-4483.

Other performances are on March 16-19 at 7:30 p.m.

The show is directed by former NSU Artistic Director Dr. Jack Wann.

“Twelfth Night” takes place in the imaginary land of Illyria, a place that, as its name suggests, combines illusion with delirium. Imagination, delusion, madness and love are all part of this festive comedy written at the height of Shakespeare’s most life-enhancing period. A set of twins are ship-wrecked and believed lost. But in Shakespeare, the lost is always found. After a zany series of mistaken identity mix-ups and misplaced romantic interludes, the characters are reunited. Aiding and abetting and often standing in the way of the eventual reunion of Viola and her brother Sebastian are a group of memorable characters including the ambitious and Puritanical steward Malvolio; a drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch; his guileless comrade-in-drink Sir Andrew Aguecheek, a resourceful gentlewoman Maria and an all-knowing singing Fool named Feste. The nobility of Illyria, Duke Orsino and the beautiful Lady Olivia, are both victims of the confusion, but all’s well that ends well. The ‘improbable fiction’ of “Twelfth Night” has delighted audiences for many, many years and provides a delightful journey into a Carnivalesque kingdom of excess and high spirits.

Caption:

Orsino and Olivia are somewhat amazed as they see twins Sebastian and Viola for the first time in a scene from Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” which will be performed by Northwestern Theatre and Dance March 16-19 at 7:30 p.m. and March 19 at 2 p.m. in the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium. The matinee performance on March 19 will be closed captioned. Among the cast members are, from left, Maudiel Aguilar as Sebastian, Kristi Contreary as Viola, Victoria Hickman as Olivia and Dylan Fuselier as Orsino.