People’s Light, Chester County’s destination for award-winning theatre and live arts, will present a vibrant new production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, adapted and directed by Andrew Watring in Watring’s mainstage directorial debut, running Feb. 25-Mar. 29. Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased online here.
Shakespeare’s beloved comedy of mistaken identity, desire, and disguise is reimagined in a playground for the rich and powerful, set within the lavish world of the Duke’s Palace Hotel and Resort. Drawing visual and cultural inspiration from Dubrovnik, Croatia, one of the rumored influences for Shakespeare’s mythical Illyria, this brand-new take brings fresh specificity, urgency, and contemporary relevance to a timeless classic.
The story follows Viola, shipwrecked on a foreign shore, who disguises herself as a man to survive, setting off a whirlwind of romantic entanglements. As love interests expand from triangle to pentangle and social boundaries blur, servants outwit masters, power is subverted, and characters wrestle with who they are versus who the world sees them to be. Beneath the play’s wit and whimsy, this production highlights themes that resonate deeply today: unequal wealth distribution, class division, and the performance of identity.
“Shakespeare stretches language, identity, and social order until they almost break and yet, somehow, everything still works,” said Watring, Adapter/Director of Twelfth Night and Associate Artistic Director at People’s Light. “That spirit of experimentation gives us permission to ask questions rather than offer answers. It’s my hope that audiences will find themselves in this language, this poetry, this cast, and this play, and feel invited into the joy, confusion, and humanity that Twelfth Night holds.”
The production showcases the depth of People’s Light’s Company Artists, bringing together longtime members Tom Teti and Julianna Zinkel, alongside newer Company Artists Shauna Miles, Jacob Orr, and Todd Lawson, with returning Guest Artists Nayib Felix and David Pica.
The full cast includes: Allison Jones, making her People’s Light debut asViola; Austyn Williamson (Sebastian); Nayib Felix (Orsino) Julianna Zinkel (Olivia); Todd Lawson (Malvolio); Tom Teti (Sir Toby); Jacob Orr (Sir Andrew); Shauna Miles (Maria); David Pica (Antonio); and James Lacey (Feste).
In a signature People’s Light initiative, the role of Fabian will be played by a rotating cast of teen actors from People’s Light’s Teen Performance Lab, giving young artists the rare opportunity to balance a conservatory-style training program with professional mainstage performance.
Twelfth Night is brought to life by a dynamic artistic team whose work spans leading theaters across the country. Led by Associate Director Nora Gair and Stage Manager Tom Shotkin, the production features scenic design by Baron Pugh, with projects at The Public Theater, Juilliard School’s Drama Division, and Capital Repertory Theatre, alongside costume designer Rebecca Kanach, known for her work at Lincoln Center, the Guggenheim, and Ars Nova’s ANT Fest. Brooklyn-based lighting designer Ebony M. Burton (BĀS: The Harmony Between Me and You, Marie, It’s Time) joins sound designer Caroline Eng (Roundabout Theatre Company’s Yellow Face, Spotify’s The Get Up), with Dr. Caz Batten serving as Gender Consultant, Gina Pisasale as Dramaturg, and Eli Lynn as Intimacy and Fight Director, shaping a production that is contemporary, intentional, and theatrically bold.
Original music is composed by Liz Filios, a composer, teaching artist, and actor whose score creates a richly textured sonic world that deepens the play’s lyricism, emotional shifts, and spirit of play.
“Twelfth Night is a play I’ve long admired and questioned in equal measure,” said Zak Berkman, Producing Artistic Director at People’s Light. “It is witty, subversive, and full of poetic yearning, but the sources of its humor can feel jarring given the realities of our current world. Andrew Watring brought forward a vision that embraces everything that makes this play wise, wistful, and wicked, while also adapting it to be more responsive to these times where identity has become such a battleground. With so many school groups attending this production, I’m especially excited to see how a wide range of audiences respond to Andrew’s new spin on this classic comedy.”
“One of the things that makes People’s Light unique is how we experiment with storytelling to build community,” said Shonali Burke, Managing Director at People’s Light. “It feels especially fitting to celebrate Andrew Watring’s mainstage directorial debut with Twelfth Night, a play that delights in the invention of language, of identity, of possibility. Shakespeare reminds us that even when the words feel unfamiliar, performance allows us to meet each other there, to interpret the world together, and to rediscover the timeless questions of love, power, loss, and belonging.”
Accessibility and Inclusion at Every Performance
People’s Light remains committed to making theatre accessible and welcoming for all. There will be a Relaxed Performance on Sunday, Mar. 15, at 2:00 PM featuring audio description, American Sign Language interpretation (provided by Hands UP Productions), and a pre-show sensory tour at 1:00 PM where guests can interact with set and prop elements and ask questions (free with RSVP to [email protected]). This inclusive performance offers a “shush-free” environment where audience members are free to move around, vocalize, or step out and return as needed.
Open Captioning will be available during all performances from Mar. 24-29, displaying dialogue on an LED screen to support patrons with hearing impairments and English language learners. Smart Caption Glasses, offering real-time captioning displayed directly on customizable lenses, will be available Mar. 17-29 and are free with a reservation when purchasing tickets.
People’s Light’s Accessibility Sponsor for the 2025/26 Season is Novocure.
Events and Special Promotions
Pride Night on Feb. 27: Celebrate before the 7:00 PM show at a gathering hosted by Andrew Watring, in partnership with the LGBT Equality Alliance of Chester County and other community partners.
ShakesFest on Mar. 21: A festival-style afternoon of workshops, food, and performances all across campus, leading up to the 7:00 PM performance of Twelfth Night.
Groups of 10 or more save: Groups receive 15-25 percent discounts plus custom benefits. Call 610-647-1900 x111 or email [email protected].
$30 access dates (no promo code required): Friday, Mar. 6 at 7:00 PM and Wednesday, Mar. 25 at 2:00 PM.
For more information on this production, additional programming, news, and events, visit People’s Light. Founded in 1974 in Malvern, People’s Light is one of Pennsylvania’s largest professional nonprofit theatres and a national leader in creating and producing new work. With a deep commitment to community, the organization seeks to inspire and connect people through stories that illuminate our shared humanity. Each season features a mix of world and regional premieres, bold new takes on classics, and joyful musical revivals, as well as creative community-centered programming that welcomes audiences of all ages and backgrounds.
