Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Welcome to Illyria, which is the setting of “Twelfth Night” at Salve Regina University at the Black Box Megley Theatre in Newport. The audience members are invited guests to a Shakespearean celebration. First we come upon a shipwreck where twins Viola and Sebastian are separated and forced to survive on their own in a strange land. The first, Viola, falls in love with Count Orsino who in turn is in love with Olivia. However Olivia falls for Viola whose is disguised as Cesario but Olivia is also pursued by her pompous steward, Malvolio who is viewed as such because he condemns drunken revelry by her uncle Toby Belch and Sir Andrew, another one of her suitors. Later on, Sebastian appears on the scene throwing the situation into further disarray because he is the spitting image of his twin sister. Mistaken identities, gender bending antics, revelries and wild mayhem abound in this madcap Shakespearean tale written in 1601 or 1602. Director Tom Gleadow takes his college student performers and molds them into these characters of yesteryear winning them the accolades they richly deserve.