Eight Reasons to See Twelfth Night

Go and do thee likewise

A A A Comments By JOEL BEERS Thursday, Jan 26 2006

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Due to scheduling conflicts and an unforeseen attack on at least one gastrointestinal tract, OC Weekly has yet to see—and judge—the Hunger Artists' current production of Twelfth Night, which, on paper, looks to be a most interesting staging of one of Shakespeare's most popular comedies. So, having not yet seen it, we're going to offer eight reasons why it could be a most enjoyable experience.

1) Porn! Like most of Shakespeare's comedies, Twelfth Night features cross-dressing, rampant lust and sexual shenanigans. This production—which includes three musical numbers—amps up the debauchery by setting it in the 1970s porn industry. As director Kelly Flynn says, the notion is "to give Shakespeare his balls back. So many [Shakespeare] productions are so respectful and precious, but this is a play about ridiculous extremes of desire and the lengths that people will go to get who they want." Also: about giving the character Orsino a 12-inch cock.

2) Testosterone! Mark Coyan and Jeremy Gable have both won OCies (OC Weeklytheater awards), and Scott Manuel Johnson and Jason Lythgoe are just as talented. Not that familiar with the other dudes, but we're guessing they must be good.

3) Estrogen! Jessica Topliff is an OCie winner, at least one of the other female actors is a 2005 nominee (the world will know in a couple of weeks), and, based on the photos on the company's website, the other ladies are all comely vixens unafraid to show a little flesh.

4) Alcohol! Big's Bar & Grill is located about 20 steps from the theater's back door. It's ideal for a pre-show brew, an intermission shot, or a post-show cocktail or nine.

5) Kelly Flynn! Flynn is the director and adaptor and has a proven track record. His white-trash version of Noel Coward's Private Lives and all-male version of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest were both brilliant.

6) Hot cops and nunchucks!

7) Pregnancy! Flynn's wife, Shannon, is currently the shape of a lemon—courtesy of the couple's first jointly created life form. She's also an award-winning director at the company.

8) Porn!

TWELFTH NIGHT, HUNGER ARTISTS THEATRE COMPANY, 699-A S. STATE COLLEGE BLVD., FULLERTON, (714) 680-6803. FRI.-SAT., 8 P.M.; SUN., 7 P.M. ALSO MON., JAN. 30, 8 P.M. THROUGH FEB. 12. $15-$18.

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