Twelfth Night

19th-century audiences adored Charlotte Cushman in Shakespeare, including Hamlet and Romeo but also Viola (and Cesario). Check out these Twelfth Night finds in our collection.

Twins, sometimes separated or confused for one another, appear more than once in Shakespeare’s plays. Test your knowledge with our quiz on the subject.

Director Mei Ann Teo shares the vision for Folger Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night. Shakespearean original practice, the soulful pop of local icon composer Be Steadwell, and an ensemble proposition all inform a production that Teo describes as “hilarious, sexy, and devastating.”

Folger Theatre’s Twelfth Night begins performances May 13. Composer Be Steadwell shares how The Cure, Elizabethan traditional ballads, the underground club scene in Berlin, and queer ball culture all inspire the songs for this production.

It’s full of joy, love, music, and mistaken identities. Challenge yourself with our quiz about Twelfth Night!

Shakespeare mentions the word “fool” more than 300 times. Here are seven quotes, often spoken by one of his wise—and witty—fools.

Scholar Will Tosh explores the hidden queer lives in Shakespeare’s works, revealing how early modern gender fluidity and same-sex desire influenced the Bard’s plays and characters.

In an excerpt from Straight Acting: The Hidden Queer Lives of William Shakespeare, Will Tosh uses lines from Twelfth Night to trace Sebastian and Antonio’s relationship.

What’s going through Viola’s head as she woos Olivia on Orsino’s behalf? Dame Judi Dench reflects on this key scene in this excerpt from her newly published book.

We ask a few of our favorite Shakespeareans what you should keep an eye out for when you watch Twelfth Night.

“If music be the food of love, play on.” Take this quiz to see if you can correctly order the lines of the opening speech of Twelfth Night, with its memorable reference to a bank of violets.