A Gold Rush: Twelfth Night in Cincinnati

Walking into the Otto M. Budig Theater last November, patrons were greeted by the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s (CSC) Director of Creative Education and Outreach Jeremy Dubin, in costume as Fabian, standing behind an onstage bar and selling shots of whisky to audience members before the show. Stepping onto the stage to purchase from the bar gave patrons the opportunity to interact with the richly detailed set: the interior of a saloon, embossed wallpaper in deep green, a piano, a balcony, and various entrances and exits. This set would double as Olivia’s and Orsino’s houses (or replace those locations). The deep thrust stage allowed much action to be played further downstage, presumably out-of-doors, such as Antonia and Sebastian parting ways in Illyria’s streets or Malvolio encountering the note dropped by Maria. The saloon set, which could have been restrictive in the hands of less talented actors or designers, provided many excellent performance moments. Feste and the musicians appeared and disappeared (via a trapdoor) behind the bar at a moment’s notice. Sir Toby was almost part of the set himself, slumped drunkenly at the end of the bar when Orsino entered at the play’s beginning, demanding the musicians give him excess of love’s food. Sir Toby raised his glass and toasted incoherently in response. The fight between Sir Andrew and Viola/Cesario unfolded inside the saloon, allowing for all manner of hilarity, including smashing bottles over heads and fending off attacks with bar stools. And there was a running gag with Sir Andrew…