See it if you appreciate people who can honor a Shakespearean text while simultaneously making it sound fresh and fun for today.
Don't see it if you need spectacle or dislike Shakespeare.
See it if you like your Shakespeare without high concept just clear, clean storytelling by an ensemble that plays beautifully off one another.
Don't see it if you can’t be still for a longish first act.
See it if you love fresh interpretations of Shakespeare.
Don't see it if if you do not like wonderful language. Read more
See it if You like Shakespeare. You like comedy.
Don't see it if You don't like Shakespeare Read more
See it if you are looking for a fun, intelligent version of this play. The acting is great, the music works well. It was a really enjoyable show.
Don't see it if you don't enjoy Shakespeare. Honestly, that is the only reason. Even then, give it a try--this show is an absolute delight.
See it if You like engaging productions performed by extremely talented actors who enjoy their roles. Most accessible production of this play I’veseen
Don't see it if You do not enjoy shakespeare
See it if you enjoy watching Shakespearean works staged in non-traditional ways, or you're a fan of Fiasco Theater.
Don't see it if you're not familiar with this play and have difficulty with Shakespeare's language. You may find this hard to follow. Read more
See it if you like a reimagining of Shakespeare's lightest tale and a fun physical comic take on it
Don't see it if you prefer a trimmed down Shakespeare and a typical staging of it.
"As usual, the performers let the story tell itself, without excessive interpretive psychology...The show is steeped in a daylight lucidity, making it an ideal introduction to 'Twelfth Night' for theatergoers unacquainted with this play...But the electricity I associate with Fiasco is oddly lacking, as is the sense of unexpected revelation. The show as a whole feels like a clean-lined sketch for a fuller work to come...'Twelfth Night' cries out for more layered and intricate portraiture."
Read more
"Their 'Twelfth Night' lacks their usual derring-do...The production’s coziness—sweaters, beards, sea chanties—smothers any sense of risk...Toby Belch (Andy Grotelueschen) and Andrew Aguecheek (Paco Tolson) have their dunce caps strapped on tight, and their scenes together—so silly, so ass-over-teakettle ridiculous—have the old Fiasco zing...But the company has landed itself in too-pleasant country. Better to set sail for rougher shores."
Read more
"A charming, unfussy take...Honest, open, and noble...There’s no heavy stylistic signature on the work — instead, Fiasco’s priorities seem to spring from the mindset of actors who deeply love Shakespeare and long to communicate this material’s great gifts and joys...This is excellent gateway-drug Shakespeare, and I mean that as sincere praise...Plays things a bit on the safe side tonally, but all in all, it’s 'a most happy wreck.'"
Read more
"Visually appealing and brimming with musicality, this 'Twelfth Night' never capsizes, but it does leave us feeling as though we've taken a good voyage of nothing...The production never reaches an adequate clip for Shakespearean comedy. The exposition can be downright plodding at times., while conservative performances mostly fail to make an impression...We know this comedy can glide, which is why it is so disappointing that Fiasco's production merely treads water."
Read more
“”Twelfth Night’ is the kind of piece that bubbles with youthful energy as its characters awkwardly explore their romantic passions. That youthful energy is delightfully brimming in Fiasco’s production...There's a casual connection between actors and audience, as they tell the story of shipwrecked twins...The rousing musical moments shared by the company enhance the merry spirit of the fun and fast-moving production.”
Read more
“The actors barely seem to connect with their characters...May be the least amusing 'Twelfth Night' I've ever seen. Never a bore and never vulgar or pandering, it has moments when the text blessedly asserts itself...There's also something likable about the overall no-frills approach...But why strip down a production if you aren't going to highlight Shakespeare's words and characters?...I don't think I've ever seen one so thoroughly lacking in point of view and reason for being."
Read more
“The Fiasco Theater's rollicking, new production of ‘Twelfth Night' is the perfect way to spend a cold, winter night...Co-directed with economic flair by Fiasco stalwarts Brody and Steinfeld and boasts a resourceful cast who are having even more fun than the audience, if that's possible...Fiasco's revival is a rousing success on its own terms...Celebrate the season with Fiasco's simple, yet effective, reimagining of Shakespeare's masterpiece of identity, illusion, and illumination.”
Read more
“While not as memorable as several previous Fiasco Theater productions, this ‘Twelfth Night’ takes a while to get where it is going. After winding up the plot in the first half, it settles down to sparkling comedy in its second. A bare-bones production, it focuses attention on the language and the music rather than the usual rich trappings. It is an easy production to follow without being distracted by extraneous interpretations or ideas.”
Read more