Lady Shakes Theatre Company is back with the second show in their exciting inaugural season. Twelfth Night follows the journey of twins Sebastian and Viola as they flee threat and violence from their home city of Cienfuegos, Cuba. After a harrowing storm, their inflatable life-raft is overturned off the coast of Florida and the twins are separated, each believing the other to be dead. Alone and undocumented, each twin makes their way to Miami, Florida in the hope of gaining citizenship and starting a new life in the United States of America.

Adapted by Martha Benson and Chris Klippenstein, this modern retelling of Twelfth Night asks big questions about personal responsiblity during moments of national crisis. What does it mean to be a refugee in a country founded by immigrants? How can we learn to stand up to insitutions of power when we observe evil happening in front of us? How can we continue to strive towards hope and light in the face of overwhelming darkness?

The Lady Shakes Theatre Company was established in 2018 and is dedicated to promoting the voices and artistic expression of women and gender minorities in the arts through the collaboration of an all-female, trans human, or gender minority, multi-racial design team, cast and crew. They strive to honour the human spirit through the words of William Shakespeare by promoting diversity and providing platforms for voices that have been vastly underrepresented in the arts.

Featuring:
Susanna Montoya Quinchia as VIOLA
Karla Gallegos as SEBASTIAN
Starr Kirkland as OLIVIA
Martha Benson as ORSINO
Gaia Visnar as MARIA
Joyia D. Bradley as MALVOLIO
Maya Carter as TOBY
Taylor Marie Rasumussen* as ANDREW
Bowie Dunwoody as FESTE
Helora Santos da Rosa as VALENTINE
Raven Adams as ANTONIO
Chris Klippenstein as ICE AGENT FORD
Anna Petrick as ICE AGENT PETER

Design Team:
Director: Martha Benson
Adapted by Martha Benson and Chris Klippenstein
Assitant Director: Imani Youngblood
Stage Manager: Lauren Gissentanna
Tech Director: Anna Petrick
Costume Designer: Maggie Brown
Fight Choreography: Brynn Knickle
Poster Design: Bowie Dunwoody

* appearing courtesy of Actor’s Equity Association