Sebastian and Viola are a twin brother and sister. They were caught in a storm while sailing, and only the sister, Viola, falls off the coast of Illyria. Viola, dressed as a man, introduces herself as Cesario. As Cesario(Viola) falls in love with the Duke Orsino, she becomes his servant. Unfortunately, the Duke Orsino only had been looking at Olivia and asked her to marry him. However, Olivia refused because she had lost her brother not long ago. The Duke Orsino sends a telegram through Cesario to win the heart of Olivia, but she falls in love with Cesario, who is Viola…

Viola (Cesario): She disguised herself as Cesario. When she sees Orsino, she falls in love with him at first sight. Although Viola is just the love messenger of Orsino to Olivia, she, who wanted to be with him, volunteers to be his servant.

Orsino: The Duke of Illyria who has convinced himself that he is in love with Olivia. He hired Cesario as his servant to send Olivia a love letter, but gradually he begins to get attached to Cesario.

Olivia: A wealthy countess who lost her brother. Even as she is asked to marry by both Sir Andrew, who is a friend of her uncle Lord Toby Belch, and Duke Orsino, Olivia continues to refuse. It is because she has not felt true love. However, when she meets Cesario, who has come to deliver Orsino's letter, she falls in love with him.

Sebastian: Viola’s twin brother. The storm separated Sebastian and his sister, Viola, and he finally arrives in Illyria to find her. Then, accidently, he runs into Olivia. Olivia thinks Sebastian is a Cesario, so she asks him to marry her.

          The play 'Twelfth Night' is a mask play. Actors hide behind the masks, and the masks make the viewers less immersed in the play. Other plays have focused on making people fascinated by the story. However, in Mask Theater 'Twelfth Night,' using masks, the audience perceives that they are watching a play, not just completely immersed in the acting and thinking it is real story. In addition to this effect, the actors could play the roles more realistically, hiding him or herself behind the mask. During the play, the character Viola, who dresses as a man, and is pretending to be a Cesario, is even more realistic and dramatic to the audience thanks to the mask. As we don't know the real face behind the mask. Especially, the reversal of the fact that the person who played Olivia's maid Maria is actually the same as the one who played Sebastian adds fun to the play ‘Twelfth Night’.

          The mask reflected the meaning of title ‘Twelfth Night’. Twelfth Night refers to the day 12 nights after Christmas, the eve of the Contribution Day. It is a Catholic holiday, and people act contrary to their status and roles. In this day, servants dress up as their masters, women as men, and men as women. These rites become the main background for the plot of the play. In particular, the Mask Theater’s 'Twelfth Night' will bring back the meaning of this holiday by using masks. The focus was not only on hiding real identities, but also on allowing the audience to focus more on the stage with masks that fit each character.

          It is the appearance of clowns that the biggest difference between Shakespeare's original 'Twelfth Night' and Chung-Ang University students' 'Twelfth Night'. This is thought to emphasize the meaning of love. The clowns get involved in the play and watch their stories as far away as the audience does. In the play, to pull a prank on Olivia's butler, Malvolio, not only the characters but also the clowns gather together. On the other hand, when Andrew stammers and asks Olivia to marry him, the clowns sit far away from the main stage and watch that scene, eating popcorn. Through the clowns, the audience could enjoy the play a little away from them.

          There is a saying by Charlie Chaplin, “Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” The play 'Twelfth Night' is a typical Shakespeare comedy. The Mask Theater’s 'Twelfth Night,' played by Chung-Ang University students, reflects this saying. Through the masks, and through the clowns, people look at love from afar. In other words, the audience could enjoy the characters' love story as a “comedy.”

 

Originally, the Twelfth Night is a celebration day and a festival day. To that end, the play ‘Twelfth Night’ celebrates their true love. All the love we go through cannot be a comedy. However, the audience could rejoice when Olivia finally felt love and married Sebastian. Charlie Chaplin added a sentence after the above statement. “So I try to look afar.” In this play, various devices to give the audience a sense of distance. How do you look your life? The play 'Twelfth Night,' played by students of the theater department at Chung-Ang University, shows our lives as a comedy, albeit for a short time.

 

Date: 2019.10.10~2019.10.12

Place: Chung-Ang University Space 1959

Running Time: 70 minutes