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Reopening at a new venue in less than two weeks sure seems on brand for a fast-paced play about mistaken identities in a production filled with actors in dual roles.
SPARC Theater is following up the outdoor run of its adaptation of “Twelfth Night” as part of its annual Shakespeare in the Vineyard program with an indoor installment of the same Bard romantic-comedy at the historic Village Theatre in downtown Danville starting this weekend.
It’s the first time the storied Livermore-based troupe has ever put on a full production on an inside stage, noted SPARC executive artistic director Lisa Tromovitch.
“We’re excited to experience the play indoors with the audience,” said Tromovitch, who is also directing the play. “While we’ll miss the vineyard setting, we’re looking forward to air conditioning, the opportunities to do Sunday matinees (my favorite because you can go out after the show with your friends and talk about the play), and the way it will sound and feel with the acoustics of an indoor space.”
She added, “We’ve never done a full Shakespeare play indoors — new plays, one-acts, musical cabarets and original pieces at the Bothwell, in a bar, a yoga studio, schools, a church, an historic building (in Pleasanton, Dublin, Livermore) and our downtown Livermore studio, but we’ve long needed an indoor venue to mount more full productions.”
SPARC is bringing its live theater production to Danville for three weekends after a “wonderful” run during July on the outdoor stage at Darcie Kent Vineyards in Livermore, Tromovitch said.
The Shakespeare story, as adapted locally by Jennifer Le Blanc, follows the story of brother and sister twins Sebastian and Viola in the wake of a shipwreck where neither knows their sibling survived — and Viola takes on the male disguise of Cesario to find work in the new land. Competing love triangles develop and tensions are heightened comedically from the cases of mistaken identity that ensue.
Tromovitch noted that the whole cast from Livermore is staying intact for the Danville shows, and other than using some Village Theatre technical staff, the same overall production team is taking part.
Laura Domingo stars as Viola/Cesario and Li-Leng Au plays Sebastian (and Valentine and Maria) alongside Actors’ Equity Association performers Cassidy Brown (as Duke Orsino and Malvolio) and Elena Wright (as Olivia and Sir Andrew) and supporting cast Matt Ballin and Gregg Le Blanc.
One adjustment the production did have to make because of the shifting venues: restaging the balcony scenes because the historic theater’s roof is lower than the two-story stage built for the outdoor venue, according to Tromovitch.
“Evan Lopes, the lighting designer, has to start from scratch with a full grid of lighting instruments instead of just two towers,” she said. “Austin Andrade, the technical director, built new stairs and a platform. The panels that make up the set are placed in a metal frame that makes up the outdoor stage. These panels have to be re-rigged for assembling indoors.”
“There has been some prep! We needed the time between to get ready,” Tromovitch added.
The other big focus in these interim weeks has been spreading the word about their arrival in Danville, which was first announced publicly in May.
“Getting the attention of local theater-goers in the Danville-San Ramon-Alamo area who are not expecting us is harder than one may think. We’re putting out new marketing, working in partnership with the Town of Danville staff and Danville volunteers,” Tromovitch said.
“I’m looking forward to meeting new people, building a community of patrons that enjoy live professional theater. I’ve made so many friends through the theater,” she added. “The whole area lost so much when live community experiences were shut down during the pandemic. I look forward to rebuilding that community and expanding it throughout the Tri-Valley.”
“Twelfth Night” opens at the Village Theatre and Art Gallery on Front Street in Danville this Friday (Aug. 9) and continues through Aug. 25. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. For tickets and more information, visit danville.ca.gov/sparc.
