Suspension of disbelief brings Twelfth Night into 2015

Laureen Guenther
Times Contributor

 

Artistic director Brad Graham and the Suspension of Disbelief theatre company-based in Rosebud, opened their third Shakespeare season Aug. 23, performing the comedy Twelfth Night in the Passion Play site’s Forum amphitheatre.
The story of Twelfth Night is all about mistaken identity, Graham explained in an e-mail. A young woman named Viola is shipwrecked and, landing in a strange country, she dresses as a boy so she can get a job as a messenger. But that confuses Countess Olivia, who receives love messages from Viola on behalf of Duke Orsino – with whom Viola has fallen in love.
“In the meantime, Olivia’s officious head butler Malvolio has put the rest of the household’s nose out of joint, so they hatch a plan that involves more fake love letters,” Graham said. “Add in a spiteful maid, a drunken uncle, a dandy suitor, and a Fool to keep things interesting!”
Suspension of Disbelief’s cast, who are also the crew, include performers familiar to those who’ve been to Rosebud Theatre or enjoyed Suspension of Disbelief’s past shows: Glenda Warkentin as Olivia, Kelsey Krogman as Feste the fool, Andrew Cooper as foolish suitor Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Caleb Gordon as Malvolio. New to the cast this year are Kendra Hutchinson, Byron Linsey and Sarah Spicer¬¬.
“Our biggest goal is always to make the characters we’re working with and portraying, (into) people our audience can recognize,” Graham said. “The way they speak is poetic, but it doesn’t need to get in the way of us understanding them and the good story they have to tell.”
Graham is pleased about the way Suspension of Disbelief has grown in just three seasons.
“We’ve managed to discover some pretty great things about Shakespeare and how his plays work,” he said. “I feel like we’ve gained a pretty loyal following. Those who’ve taken the risk with us and come out to see our work have been pleasantly pleased with what they’ve discovered.”
He’d like to keep growing the company, perhaps expanding to two performances each summer, adding a tragedy and running a longer season. For now, he said, “I’m just grateful for the sharing that’s taken place between a 450-year-old writer, a group of vital theatre artists, and an audience made up of community that we’re grateful to be a part of!”
Suspension of Disbelief will perform eleven matinee and evening shows between Aug. 23 to Sept. 6, all in the forum space on the Passion Play site in Drumheller. Graham said they’d appreciate it if we let them know we’re coming, but all performances are pay-what-you-will. Contact and follow them on their Facebook page or at suspensionofdisbelief.ca.