JACKSON, Wyo. — “If music be the food of love, play on.”
So begins act one, scene one of William Shakespeare’s beloved comedy of mistaken identities, “Twelfth Night.” Originally performed in 1602, the play finds new life in Jackson this month with free open-air performances at the Center Amphitheater in Off Square Theatre’s annual Thin Air Shakespeare summer series.
The new production, running nightly at 7:30 p.m. from July 11 to 13 and July 17 to 20, transports the characters to an island resort in the 1960s to explore themes of love, identity, gender and more. Live music will factor into the adaptation, directed by Edgar Landa and musically directed by Clay Humphrey.
“This fun-loving, raucous romantic comedy has something for the whole family, from mistaken identities to live music to some of Shakespeare’s most iconic phrases,” Off Square Theatre’s Producing Artistic Director Natalia Duncan Macker said in a statement. “We invite everyone to pack a picnic and join us for a magical evening of laughter, connection and love under the sky.”
Off Square notes in its press release that the free, family-friendly nature of Thin Air Shakespeare intends to eliminate “the traditional barriers to professional theater and [to focus] on opportunities for the intergenerational experience of live performance.”
Audiences are encouraged to bring blankets and picnics. Each performance runs for about two hours, with a 10-minute intermission. American Sign Language interpreters will be at the July 19 performance.
