“Yes, I get squashed into a corset,” related Michael
Brown, the actor playing Viola (the female lead) in
Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre’s production of
“Twelfth Night.” “The costumes are extremely
authentic. We had experts doing research into the clothing worn of
the time.”

Over the past few years, Ann Arbor has been a Mecca for viewing
good Shakespeare. Two out of the last four years, the Royal
Shakespeare Company has been in residence, and this year boasts a
similar exhibition. Starting this week, Shakespeare’s Globe
Theatre, an acting troupe from London, will be doing its production
of “Twelfth Night.”

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre is a group that strives for
authenticity in all aspects of the production of its plays. As
Brown explained, extensive research has been conducted in order to
recreate the costumes that were worn by the actors who first
performed the play back in Shakespeare’s time. Even the wigs
are made of silk. The set has transformed the Michigan Union
Ballroom with a huge oaken stage and screen meant to replicate the
setting of the Middle Temple Hall, where “Twelfth
Night” is believed to have been first performed. The stage is
ornately decorated with great carvings, giving a grandeur sense to
the whole scene.

The truly authentic aspect of this troupe — the
characteristic that sets it apart from other reputable production
groups — is the gender of the entire group: All of the actors
are male. When Shakespeare was writing and producing his plays,
women were not allowed to perform on stage. So, all of the parts,
male and female alike, were played by men. To give the audience the
sense of how Shakespeare’s plays were originally performed,
this troupe has restored the practice of an all male cast. In
“Twelfth Night” however, this makes for a potentially
baffling evening.

“Twelfth Night” is the story of a woman named Viola
who, after surviving a shipwreck, which she assumes has killed her
brother, “disguises herself as her brother in order to deal
with her grief,” explained Brown. She then becomes the
servant of the Duke. Viola serves as messenger between the Duke and
Countess Olivia, delivering love notes back and forth between the
couple. As time progress however, the Countess begins to fall in
love with Viola (dressed as a man), while Viola begins to fall in
love with the Duke, and in the words of Brown, “Everything
comes crashing down in the fifth act.”

It would seem that being a man playing a woman who is disguised
as a man would, at times, be confusing. Brown explained though,
that he “approached it no different than any other character.
(I) simply had to figure out what were Viola’s problems,
wants and needs.” He also admitted, “I did try to make
her more graceful. She is an aristocratic, well-to-do lady who
would be well presented.” Brown added that, “While
disguised as a man, I just tried to keep the femininity I had
found, so it would seem like I was a woman disguised as a
man.”

In Brown’s mind, the best part about playing Viola is that
“she interacts with just about everyone in the play.”
Brown explained that this experience has been great fun and
provides a valuable education because the actors in the group are
wonderful. “They are such an experienced and playful bunch of
actors,” Brown said, “and it is just great
fun.”