Streaming exclusively on our Youtube channel.
Welcome to Ruff Reads! Seattle Shakespeare hosts FREE live stream readings of selected classical plays. We are partnering with local artists and community members to perform rather rough, but never boring, readings for our fans. Gather with your family, invite your buddies to join, and cuddle at home with your furry friends to enjoy this casual digital event.
Ruff Reads – Twelfth Night
When: Thursday, June 18 | Time: 7:30 PM-10:00 PM
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night with much of the original cast of the 2012 Wooden O production of the play. Relive your fun summer memories of this hilarious Wooden O production by gathering (but still social distancing) with family and friends for this digital event.
Production Team
Makaela Milburn (Director), Composer Robertson Witmer, Jocelyne Fowler (Production Manager), Michelle Burce (Video Production Assistant).
Cast
Jesica Avellone (Maria), Kevin Bordi (Valentine), Emily Chisholm (Viola), Jim Gall (Sir Toby Belch), Matthew Gilbert (Sebastian), Justin Huertas (Feste), Harry Todd Jamieson (Captain/Fabian), Lamar Legend (Antonio), Christopher Morson (Curio), George Mount (Malvolio), Matt Shimkus (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Connor Toms (Duke Orsino), and Ayo Tushinde (Olivia).
Ruff Reads Twelfth Night Cast
We wish to express our gratitude to the Performers’ Unions:
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION
AMERICAN GUILD OF MUSICAL ARTISTS
AMERICAN GUILD OF VARIETY ARTISTS
SAG-AFTRA
through Theatre Authority, Inc. for their cooperation in permitting the Artists to appear on this program.
This reading of Twelfth Night was initially conceived as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in the cancellation of Wooden O’s outdoor season. We wanted to stay connected to our artists, our audiences and the joyful spirit of a Wooden O summer. And we are thrilled to celebrate that with you. But we also recognize that much has been happening in our world
since we first started planning and putting this reading together.
The murder of George Floyd has resulted in a national awakening to treatment of Black people in this country. It is a crisis that demands to be acknowledged and addressed by us all.
June is also PRIDE month. While many of the annual events around PRIDE have been sidelined because of the pandemic, the spirit of PRIDE is still present this June. Though the recent ruling by the Supreme Court is a cause for hope, this week’s erasure of trans-inclusive healthcare protections and the continued murder of Black trans women is a reminder of how important the continued work of PRIDE is.
Seattle Shakespeare Company is a non-profit arts organization and relies on your donations to support our work in the community. We are very fortunate to have a dedicated and generous fan base who provided incredible support in the early phases of the current shut down, which sustains this work and enables fair payment to all the artists involved in this project. Thank you.
With all of this in mind, we choose to use the spotlight of this reading to turn your attention to some other organizations that are especially relevant at this time.
Below are links to local, regional, and national organizations working to advance awareness and support for Black, indigenous, and people of color in the LGBTQ+ and QT2BIPOC (queer, trans, two spirit, Black, indigenous people of color) communities.
We encourage you to click the links to find out more information and donate to support this important work.
Queer The Land (Seattle based)
Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network (Washington based)
Black Visions Collective (National organization based in Minneapolis)
Are you an educator? A student? We gathered our sources together into a study guide. Click to download for free resources.