ARKANSAS SHAKESPEARE THEATRE
Various times. Hendrix, UCA and Wildwood Park. $0-$30.
This season, Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre gets rolling with one of the Bard’s comedies, “Twelfth Night.” The tale of twins, shipwrecked and separated on the mysterious island of Illyria, is one of Shakespeare’s works that director Rebekah Scallet found herself drawn to again and again.
“There are many different love stories woven throughout the play, and the way the characters feel about each other is always first detected in their language,” Scallet wrote in her director’s note. “All the lovers play verbal games of wit with each other, picking up each other’s phrases, taking a word and turning it over in such a way that it has a new meaning. Through this complementary use of language the audience can tell these people are truly meant for each other, and it is so much fun to watch them figure out what we already know.”
The first five performances of “Twelfth Night” — June 7, 9, 10, 15 and 17, all at 7:30 p.m. — are pay what you can shows at Hendrix. The remaining performances are June 22-24 at 7:30 p.m. at Wildwood Park for the Arts and tickets are $15-$20. The Tony-winning Huck Finn musical “Big River” opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Performance Hall at UCA, with a 1 p.m. matinee on Sunday. Tickets are $30.