‘Twelfth Night'(s): Two Iowa companies stage Shakespeare’s gender-bending rom-com as First Folio turns 400

It’s been 400 years since William Shakespeare’s First Folio was published.

Released in 1623, the First Folio collected 36 of Shakespeare’s plays under the title Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories & Tragedies. Because of this collection, upward of a dozen plays that may have been lost to history were able to live on, including Twelfth Night.

In tandem with this latest centennial, two unrelated productions of Twelfth Night are being staged in Iowa City and Des Moines respectively. The plot of this Shakespearean comedy finds a woman, Viola, coping with the loss of her twin brother after washing up on an island; she disguises herself as a man to find work under Duke Orsino.

Though both theater companies use the same script, the two productions are vastly different.

During his lifetime, Shakespeare’s works were frequently performed in outdoor or open air stage like that of the Globe Theatre. In Iowa City, Riverside Theatre keeps with that tradition, using its Festival Stage in Lower City Park. The 472-seat theater, though diminutive next to the 3,000 people the Globe Theatre could hold in Shakespeare’s time, encourages audiences to engage with the performance in a space inspired by the Globe.

The audience at this Iowa City stage is visible to the actors on stage, which allows for reactions from the crowd to be incorporated into the performances.

At Salisbury House & Gardens in Des Moines, where Iowa Stage Theatre Company performs Shakespeare on the Lawn, the production will highlight the architectural elements of the host’s grounds.

Inspired by the King’s House in Salisbury, England, this central Iowa mansion — adorned with antiques, tapestries, art and texts that include collections of Shakespeare’s work nearly as old as the First Folio — has primarily functioned as a museum for more than two decades.

Though constructed in the 1920s, the building itself holds a connection to Shakespeare’s time in its rafters. According to central Iowa director Brad Dell, the Salisbury House’s rafters were transported to the United States from Stratford-upon-Avon’s White Hart Inn.

Stratford-upon-Avon in England is Shakespeare’s birth and burial place, and the White Hart Inn was name dropped in Henry VI. Beams from the building’s great hall were salvaged when the White Hart Inn was demolished, and are now incorporated into the architecture of the Salisbury House.

Those won’t be visible during Twelfth Night, but the facade containing them will be the backdrop to Des Moines’ upcoming, outdoor performance. As Dell put it, the production aims to create a “blissful evening under the stars,” as it enhances the aesthetic charm of the Salisbury House.

In contrast, Iowa City’s Riverside Theatre aims to craft an experience meant to bring Shakespeare to a common audience. Spearheading this iteration is Adam Knight — Riverside Theater’s producing artistic director — whose excitement for his craft bubbles through in every detail of Riverside’s performances.

Knight’s vision is to keep the spirit of the traditional Twelfth Night while remembering his audience, who may be experiencing Shakespeare for the first time.

To maintain accessibility, Riverside Theatre’s summertime Shakespeare performances are free to everyone. Despite this, Knight’s actors and staff are paid union members.

Speaking on his passion for the script, Knight noted that Twelfth Night toys with joy during emotional darkness on a remote island. The characters’ time on the island creates, what Knight described as, “resort problems.”

Knight added that there are gendered themes in Twelfth Night as one of the main female-identifying characters dresses like a man. However, Knight pointed out that gender, while an important theme, does not drive the comedy of the play. He emphasizes that this is a necessary and “careful distinction,” because the love triangle created by clothing speaks about the love shared between people regardless of who they are.

Since the Iowa City production is geared toward art accessibility, the costume choices are a riff on a historical style rather than recreation. Shakespeare’s Elizabethan-era is dominated by big sleeves and billowing frilly fabrics. Inspired by this, Riverside Theatre’s costuming is described by Knight as “David Bowie-esque.”

On the flip side, Dell is creating an Edwardian-era feel with his costuming for the Des Moines production. Dell noted that there will be “no ’70s Twelfth Night,” and emphasized that the costuming gives a “post-titanic feel” since the “period has to work with the house.” Furthermore, this Salisbury House production aims to create a dining experience, as attendees can pay $25, in addition to the ticket price, for a meal with the show.

For those in search of a pricey but well-quaffed date night, and not so much the full Shakespeare experience, head to the Salisbury House & Gardens in Des Moines.

If you want to experience free, digestible art in a casual environment, Iowa City’s Riverside Theatre is your spot.

Riverside Theatre performances of Twelfth Night in Iowa City are playing now through July 2. ISTC performances in Des Moines will run July 19-23.