Twelfth Night

Director David Melville uses a lot of live music that's evocative of earlier pop eras, going back nearly a century. It's often accompanied by jaunty choreography - Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Xavi Moreno) appears to have taken some Latin dance lessons. As always, Melville takes some of the action into the heart of his often-vast audiences. Bukola Ogunmola is a charismatic Viola.

Shipwrecked twins, gender-bending romance and a bumper crop of fools -- from the wise to the ridiculous -- guarantee a full-blown evening’s entertainment.

That is, of course, given the right take by a savvy interpreter who knows how to reinvigorate a 400-plus-year-old text for contemporary audiences.

As co-founder of Independent Shakespeare Co., David Melville has perfected that ability over the past 15 years and counting. Melville’s staging of “Night” for the Free Shakespeare Festival in Griffith Park is not so much an updating as a delightful defilement. Impudently modern, often just plain silly, the production melds vintage tunes from the Great American Songbook with contemporary language that would likely outrage many Shakespeare purists.

All told, no one here is doing this kind of work with the focus on diversity and community involvement that this company has had since its inception. We are lucky to have them.

ISC’s updated Jazz-era spin on the timeline keeps the play fresh, while their smart use of site gags and creative ad-libs makes some of the now-obscure Elizabethan innuendos accessible...

For some, three hours may be a long time to sit and digest Shakespeare, but this fairly modern, well-interpreted version of a feel-good play is worth a gander. - RECOMMENDED