http://dctheatrescene.com/2010/07/28/twelfth-night-is-shakespeare-theatres-free-for-all/ Washington DC's Liveliest Theater Website Sat, 26 May 2012 05:10:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://dctheatrescene.com/2010/07/28/twelfth-night-is-shakespeare-theatres-free-for-all/comment-page-1/#comment-12889 Roy Englert Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:47:51 +0000 http://dctheatrescene.com/?p=18500#comment-12889 Twelfth Night is set in the midsummer, not on the twelfth night after Christmas.  In act iii, scene 4, Olivia says to Malvolio, "Why this is very midsummer madness."   I did not know why the play was named Twelfth Night until I actually had the occasion to ask Michael Kahn about it, on stage following a "Mock Trial" at the Shakespeare Theatre in April 2009 based on the play.  He explained that the first performace of the play is historically believed to have occurred on Twelfth Night, and the title of the play is believed to have come from that fact.  The alternative title -- "Or What You Will" -- more accurately captures the actual goings-on in the play. Twelfth Night is set in the midsummer, not on the twelfth night after Christmas.  In act iii, scene 4, Olivia says to Malvolio, “Why this is very midsummer madness.”
 
I did not know why the play was named Twelfth Night until I actually had the occasion to ask Michael Kahn about it, on stage following a “Mock Trial” at the Shakespeare Theatre in April 2009 based on the play.  He explained that the first performace of the play is historically believed to have occurred on Twelfth Night, and the title of the play is believed to have come from that fact.  The alternative title — “Or What You Will” — more accurately captures the actual goings-on in the play.

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