By Aaliyah Pinkney
The Hood College Theater Department will present a production of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” opening on April 11 at 7 p.m.
The play is directed by Aaron Angello, head of the school’s theater department since 2020.
As director, Angello said he selects the school’s productions based on budget, cast size, and feasibility. He called “Twelfth Night” a “great, funny play.”
He said: “We have the right people to do it now. I was teaching it in my Shakespeare class last semester, and it occurred to me that it would be a perfect show for this semester.”
The play follows twins Sebastian and Viola, who are separated in a shipwreck, each unaware that the other has survived. Senior Anne Hudson plays Viola, and freshman Luke Willis plays Sebastian. According to Rook Bartlett, co-stage manager and lighting designer, the 12-member cast has relatively equal parts due to the ensemble-style format. Seniors Hudson, Phebe Frost and Rebecca Carroll are among the cast.
Behind the scenes, the production has a nine-person tech crew. Co-stage manager Tamsin Moore is working on her first production at Hood, while Bartlett, with six years of experience, marks their fourth production with the department.
“I am most looking forward to working with so many incredibly talented people I’ve worked alongside for the last two years, as well as getting to know new people joining,” Bartlett said: “We are also working to make our space more accessible, which is exciting because I want theater to be available to everyone in the community.”
Rehearsals, held Monday through Thursday, are already underway. “Once we get closer to the performances, we sometimes add rehearsals on weekends,” Angello said.
The production debuts April 11 at 7 p.m., followed by another show on April 12 at 7 p.m. Closing night, April 13, features two performances at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
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