Made up in feathered hats, white wigs and hoop skirts, the Elizabethan-transformed cast of William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" will embody the characteristics of classic Britain, but with a modern twist on Thursday.
"The exotic qualities of (Caribbean) music and culture is something everyone is familiar with, and it's modern," Director Mary Job said. "It's our paradise and perfect setting where (the characters') emotions can run wild."
The story starts with a shipwreck on the imaginary land of Illyria. The shipwrecked Viola believes her brother is dead and chooses to live her life in solitude mourning him. She disguises herself as a man in order to go unnoticed by the island's inhabitants.
Theater senior Jessica Bradley plays Viola, the star of the play.
"It's not as simple as 'I dress as a boy and act as man,'" she said. "I realized that (Viola) is much more complicated than that - so many emotions are involved with both sexes and I have to convey that."
Job said her ultimate challenge and primary goal with "Twelfth Night" is to make Elizabethan speech easy to understood.
"I saw Shakespeare in London before and was struck by how clear it was," she said. "I could enjoy the characters and understand the story - it wasn't like I was watching an academic exercise."
Job said the cast has been one of the best and most cooperative she has worked with, despite some of her offbeat teaching methods.
Most Elizabethans worshipped elements such as earth, water, fire and air. In order to overcome the classic speech barrier and connect with the characters, Job instructed the cast to embody an element.
"In the beginning they were wierded out by it," she said. "But after a while they started joking around and arguing about who was what element.
"They all made incredible discoveries and developed this dynamism the audience will see on stage."
Bradley said she remembers learning a lot from the exercise.
"I learned how Viola is like water and can easily be more swayed and moved," she said. "The approach was different but helped me discover a lot about my character."
Despite the choice for many directors to cast Shakespeare in a classic form, Job said she doesn't think all of Shakespeare has to be presented as a formal "Elizabethan cake." She proves such by putting Shakespeare in the Caribbean.
Although past historians have always imagined the setting on the coast of Yugoslavia or somewhere around the Black Sea, Job said she envisions it differently.
"This play has a whirlwind of emotions," she said. "It's almost hurricane-like behavior the characters are displaying, where everyone is in love with everyone and all these feelings are whirling around.
"Their lifestyle makes you think they live in sand castles - the Caribbean is perfect for them."
Another unique goal for Job is that the audience not just see the characters for who they are, but who they embody.
"Suppose the Duke isn't a Duke, but a superstar of the arts," she said laughing. "Or say that instead he's a frat boy who just parties.
"It can happen, it's possible."
