What You Will Do is Laugh

OK, follow along: Viola, a woman, dresses as a man — there’s a reason for this involving a shipwreck, but that’s not important right now — and enters the service of a duke. The duke sends his servant to woo a woman, who instead falls in love with the servant...

By Patrick Williams

June 7, 2012

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OK, follow along: Viola, a woman, dresses as a man — there’s a reason for this involving a shipwreck, but that’s not important right now — and enters the service of a duke. The duke sends his servant to woo a woman, who instead falls in love with the servant (Viola), who in fact loves the duke, who kind of loves her (Viola) back, but doesn’t, you know, act on it because he (the duke) thinks she (Viola) is a man. Which she (Viola) isn’t. Oh, and there’s a twin brother (Viola’s) in there somewhere to mess things up even more. Confused by all this women loving women loving men loving men and/or women? Look, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night — besides being kinda gay — is much simpler and way funnier onstage, which is where it’ll be at Samuell-Grand Amphitheater, 6200 E. Grand Ave., starting at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday. The play is the opening performance of Shakespeare Dallas’ Shakespeare in the Park series. Twelfth Night continues most Tuesdays through Sundays through July 21, when it’s followed by Coriolanus, which is not funny at all. Tickets are $10 and available at shakespearedallas.org.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: June 13. Continues through July 21, 2012

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Patrick Williams is editor-in-chief of the Dallas Observer. Before joining the staff in July 1997, Patrick worked for the Southern Illinoisan, Amarillo Globe News and San Antonio Express-News. As editor-in-chief, he oversees the newsroom and guides the coverage of both the Dallas Observer’s printed publication and online website.

Contact: Patrick Williams