It’s curious to hear Dave McIntosh—the director of Lakeside Little Theatre’s production of “Twelfth Night” (opening Friday, November 4)—admitting that he’s “not really a huge fan” of some of William Shakespeare’s works.
“There are many long soliloquies and the plays can become boring. And, frankly, the endings often peter out.”
Thankfully, McIntosh’s version of “Twelfth Night” doesn’t aim to send the audience to sleep. “It’s a silly play and we’re making it even sillier,” he says, alluding to a host of fun surprises and unexpected twists that he’s incorporated into the comedy.
Without meddling with the bard’s iconic prose or spoiling the farcical plot revolving around mistaken identity and unrequited love, McIntosh has trimmed the three-hour play into two, one-hour acts, cutting out swaths of extended dialogue and putting the emphasis firmly on entertainment.
“Those who envision a traditional play in the mold of ‘Henry IV Part One’ will be disappointed,” McIntosh says, revealing (spoiler alert) there will be “a little bit of risqué stuff, even a bit of nudity.”
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