LJ151 Living Room Players: "Twelfth Night," by William Shakespeare

Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare, is a witty, romantic comedy that blends mistaken identities, unrequited love, and playful gender disguise.

Shipwrecked on the shores of Illyria, Viola believes her twin brother is drowned and disguises herself as a young man, entering the service of Duke Orsino. The Duke sends “him” to woo Countess Olivia on his behalf—but Olivia falls for the messenger instead, while Viola quietly falls for Orsino. Around them swirls a richly comic subplot involving drunken revelry, forged letters, and comeuppance for pompous self-important figures. As disguises unravel and identities are revealed, the play explores love in all its messy, unpredictable forms—desire, grief, infatuation, and the joy of reunion. Lyrical, mischievous, and humane, Twelfth Night turns comedy into a celebration of love’s bewildering power and the delight of finding one’s true self amid confusion.

Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's four "shipwreck" plays—the others being "The Comedy of Errors," "The Tempest," and "Pericles, Prince of Tyre." It is believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season.

---

The general concept of The Living Room Players is that people receive the script by email about a week before the reading, and then roles are assigned at the meeting. Attendees sit around a living room and simply read their parts with as much theatrical flourish as they care to give (but there are no expectations of real acting).

The readings generally take place at a member's apartment in the Marais. The address, door code, and phone number will be sent in the two reminder emails.

Registration for the January reading opens on Thursday, 18 December.