Twelfth Night
Talena Laine as Viola
About
Twelfth Night
Written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Elizabeth Allum
August 8th - August 23rd, 2026
Bainbridge Performing Arts
At Bloedel Reserve
7571 NE Dolphin Dr
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Set in the curious, sun-drenched world of Illyria, a place where logic loosens its grip and desire refuses to stay in neat boxes, Twelfth Night unfolds as one of Shakespeare’s most exquisitely constructed comedies. At its heart is a story that explores gender constructs, the gap between who we are and how we are seen, and the porous boundaries between friendship, attraction, and love.
By turns riotously funny and quietly aching, Twelfth Night balances farce with emotional depth, and presents its audience with a play in which perception is thrown delightfully off balance, love and desire are allowed to move in unexpected directions, and everyone becomes just a little bit undone.
Press
“Talena Laine continues to show the breadth of her artistic range in the dual role of Viola and her alter ego, Cesario. Creating two distinct personalities within the same character allows the confusion written into Viola’s story arc to feel real, rather than simply a contrivance needed to make Shakespeare’s plot work. Talena is an expert at navigating that divide, once again nailing every aspect of the role she’s playing. As Cesario, she meets every emotional mark, from the confusion of navigating relationships built upon a false identity to the determination necessary to maintain it, all while allowing glimpses of Viola to remain just beneath the surface. It’s a deceptively complicated balancing act, and Talena makes it look effortless. Her chops are indeed a reckoning.”
“Viola creates Cesario because she thinks she needs to become someone else to survive, and instead Cesario allows her to discover more of who she already is. Talena is deeply proud that the production refuses to punish that discovery by forcing her back into a tidy heteronormative box at the end. Women, and humans in general, do not have to completely understand themselves before they are allowed to live fully, do not have to choose the version of themselves that makes the most sense to everybody else, and certainly do not need to figure all of this out before they are worthy of love.”
Gallery
Photo credit: Adam Othman
