Kennedy High stages ‘Twelfth Night’

The drama club at Kennedy High School in Bellmore staged two shows of William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” on Nov. 15 and 16. Actors and actresses engaged the audience with their modern adaptation of this classic.

“Twelfth Night” follows Viola, who is separated at sea from her twin brother Sebastian and thrown onto the shores of Illyria. Viola then disguises herself as a man and is recruited by Duke Orsino to woo the stubborn Olivia. Romantic havoc ensues when Olivia becomes smitten with Viola — dressed as a man — and Viola, in turn, falls for Orsino. A hilarious subplot involving Olivia’s hapless household makes “Twelfth Night” an enthralling comedy about illusion, deception and the extraordinary things people do for love. This humorous production was set in modern-day “Illyria Trailer Villa” and featured current music, costumes and references.

The cast, under director Daniel Sheffield, featured Rebecca Jellinek as Olivia, Mara Friedman as Viola, Jacob Sachs as Orsino, Evan Gordon as Malvolio, Matthew Zeltmann as Toby Belch, Scott Azus as Andrew Aguecheek, Teri Vieira as Maria, Andrew Friedman as Feste, Steven Alexander as Sebastian and Jeme Casco as Antonio. Seniors Sean O’Donnell and Liana Kramer served as crew heads for the two performances.