Achieving Greatness
Naked Shakes’ Twelfth Night, Fall 2021
by Roni Ragone (they/them/theirs)

“Be not afraid of greatness!” - Naked Shakes’ cast of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was anything but. As one of the many incredible theater programs UCSB has to offer, Naked Shakes took an incredible leap towards bringing back live theater to our beautiful campus. The cast and crew embraced the beloved concept of Shakespeare in the Park and brought it to
our very own lawn. Using grass under their feet and trees that continue to hold their ground, the actors were able to utilize each and every part of their surroundings. They even used a boat to
cross the lagoon to pull the actors back to land. By doing this, the actors took on the challenge of taking on the true goal of Naked Shakes: to strip down the spectacle and sincerely embrace the
Bard’s poetic dialogue. Their creativity helped bring both actors and audience members into the world the play creates.

I was lucky enough to get a few words from the Artistic Director of Naked Shakes and Professor and Chair of the Department of Theater and Dance, Irwin Appel (he/him/his).

Question: How is directing for Naked Shakes different from the other shows and programs in the Department of Theater and Dance? What's your favorite part of having that job?
Answer: “What I love about Naked Shakes is the mix of students from all departments on campus. Some are our most advanced BFA acting students, while others might be STEM majors
who not only have not done Shakespeare, but in many cases have never been in any kind of play before. We come together to study and produce each play together, and all that is required is
enthusiasm and desire to be part of something collaborative and communal. Twelfth Night was especially gratifying because we were all so excited to return and create live theater in person.
Seeing the students coming back together and feeling the freedom of performing outdoors was absolutely thrilling!”

Appel expresses how Naked Shakes embraces all kinds of actors with all different levels of experiences and brings them together to celebrate and learn more about one of the most
prolific playwright in history. This eager gratitude from the director acts as just a small dose of the magic that the cast and crew were able to create this past summer.

There is a place for everyone in the Department of Theater and Dance. Whether you enjoy belting the ballads of Sondheim or building sets or focusing lights, there is always
somewhere for everyone to shine. While Naked Shakes was directed by the department chair, many of the crew members were made up of students. Brandon Statner composed and arranged the music written for this very production while other students, Grace Wilken and Michael Mcconnell, acted as Assistant Directors. Frances Domingos was the Fight Captain, Gio Castillo was the Production Supervisor, and Trinity Wicklund brought everyone together and the show to life as the backbone of the production: the Stage Manager. Trinity Wicklund (she/her/hers) kept the show running like a well-oiled machine. Wicklund is in her second year as a Theater Production Design Major.

Question: What were some of the most successful and challenging parts of performing Shakespeare outside?

Answer: “The overall attitude of the actors was amazing - they were so open to doing whatever we had to go to get the show together. They were all very accepting of the situation. We had an energetic and excited cast and crew who all did their part and we were able to form our own Shakespearean family - and I am so grateful for everyone who made it possible.

The most challenging part was the weather for sure - and the actual setup and breakdown of the stage itself. The actors and I would arrive two hours early and stay late to put up and take
away the set each and every day. During the day, the heat would make this difficult, and at night, the metal from the stage would freeze our fingers. Despite all the chaos, Naked Shakes was an
amazing experience, especially for the first in person show I personally was able to take part in here at UCSB.”

Through Wicklund’s words, we can get a small glimpse of the family created through Naked Shake’s Twelfth Night. They overcame obstacles and came through with an amazing
performance in the end.

We were also able to talk to fourth year BFA student Harut Simonian (he/him/his) who played Sir Andrew Aguecheek.

Question: What was performing in person for the first time since early 2020 like? How did performing outside affect that experience?
Answer: “It was very odd. Which was strange to me because I couldn’t wait to be back in person! I know how to work in a theater space, on the stage, with people; but after an eighteen
month hiatus where all of that was compressed onto my laptop, I had to unlearn what I had gotten used to and relearn what I was once most comfortable with. Performing outside was a blessing and a curse. Blessing because we were able to enjoy the Santa Barbara weather, curse for the same reason. It was a lot of fun to work in a vast open space but all that space meant needing to fill it up. If you ask any of my cast mates they’ll agree with me when I say, doing theater is a workout. Especially when you’re running back and forth from the stage, on a hot summer day!”

After eighteen long months of hunching over a computer screen, actors were able to straighten their spines, puff out their chests, and live and breathe a live play once again. And
truly, what an incredible play to kick off this new exciting school year once again. Only Shakespeare’s words are beautiful enough to capture this raw and invigorating experience. I
know that I myself was beyond excited to get back to watching a world come to life at the rise of a curtain, or in this case, the strumming of a guitar along with a choir of hopeful voices running
through the grass to leap onto the stage. On a more personal note, I am a new transfer student here to UCSB. I’m double majoring in Theater and English, and got a job in the department in order to get to know people and work in the area I love. I house managed a couple of shows in this production, and for me personally, it acted as this beautiful welcome to the school. Being in a new place can be nerve-wracking. I thought I would simply duck my head, do my work, and clock out. Little did I know that those shifts would turn into the start of something I already know is going to be an important point in my life. By the end of the show, actors I hadn’t yet met already knew my name. They would offer kind smiles and excited greetings - if there is one thing I can say about this department, it’s that even though I haven’t been here long, and I already feel a deep connection to this place and these people. This department embraces each and every student and makes them feel like an important member of the community. This show was a beautiful warm welcome back onto our campus. Having two weekends of shows, September 3rd - 4th and October 1st-3rd, students were just returning to campus which made it the perfect time to showcase this production.

Roni Ragone is currently acting in this quarter's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, opening May 11 in the HSSB Ballet Studio Theater.