Twelfth Night teacher's guide - California Shakespeare Theater

SEEING THE PLAY: Before and After
Consider The Following Questions Before And After The Show:
BEFORE Viewing the Play
AFTER Viewing the Play
What to watch for:
• Who falls in love with whom—can you
keep track?
• The details of the modern setting the
director has chosen—in what time period do
you think this is set?
• Viola’s own reactions to the confusion
she has created.
• Notice when men play women’s roles and
men play women’s roles. Does the gender
of the actor matter?
• Feste’s role in keeping the festivities
afloat.
• Malvolio’s self-delusions.
• The use of music in the show—what kind
of feeling do you get from the music?
• See the “Write Your Own Critique” page
in the Activity Appendix for more ideas
about what to watch for.
What do you think of the people in Illyria—
Orsino, Olivia, Malvolio?
• Are they self-deluded or genuine people?
• Does Viola show them anything new about
themselves?
• Which character do you like the best? Why?
Why is this show set at the end of a party?
• Do you think it is a tragedy or a comedy?
• What do you think about Cal Shakes’ staging the
play at a modern-day party?
• Does it make the play easier to understand?
The director cast people of the opposite gender
for certain roles.
• How much did you notice that a woman was
playing a man, or vice versa?
• How did the gender switch affect your
understanding of the character?
What kind of picture do you think Shakespeare
is trying to paint?
• Is Shakespeare telling us that the good times
can’t go on forever?
• Or is Shakespeare saying that sometimes the
good times come after the party is over?
• How would you describe the combination of the
serious and comic that happens in this play?
• Did you recognize any parts of this story from
modern movies or books?
“If this were played upon a stage now, I could
condemn it as an improbable fiction…”
-Fabian, Act 3, Scene 4
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