2006 Twelfth Night at NMH

Shakespeare's 'Greatest Comedy'
Twelfth Night Dawns at NMH

GILL, MA—The curtain will rise on Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth Night, at Northfield Mount Hermon School December 7 to 9. The play, which involves a shipwreck, mistaken identities, low comic plotting and practical jokes, unrequited love, and the obligatory happy ending, is "surely the greatest of all Shakespeare's pure comedies," according to iconoclastic scholar Harold Bloom.

The principal characters are Viola, who loves Duke Orsino, who loves the lady Olivia, who in turn loves Cesario, who turns out to be Viola disguised as a young man. The low comedy is handled by Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek, plus friends Maria and Fabia. Together, they plot against the obnoxiously self-important steward Malvolio, one of Shakespeare's most memorable characters. Along the way, commentary and songs are provided by the court fool, Feste, who reminds us that folly and wisdom are often difficult to distinguish from one another.

Twelfth Night will be performed at 7 pm on December 7, and at 7:30 pm on December 8 and 9 in the Music Building at NMH. Tickets are $2 for all NMH students, faculty, and staff, and for children younger than 12; they are $5 for all others. Reservations can be made starting November 28 by e-mail to Theatre Director David Rowland at drowland@nmhschool.org. Reservations will not be taken by phone.

For directions, go to www.nmhschool.org or call 413-498-3000.

Contact: Kate Snyder, 413-498-3357 or ksnyder@nmhschool.org.

Top of Page