“Well, God give them wisdom that have it; and those that are fools, let them use their talents.” –Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, or What You Will

Photo credit: A.R. Sinclair Photography

What You Will

NYC 2015 | Boston 2016

FIVE ACTORS. ONE PLAY. TWO WAYS

Written by William Shakespeare

Directed by Eric Tucker

Bedlam’s company of six brings to life two versions of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will in rotating repertory. Both productions have been described as “radically innovative and winningly playful” and “double-barreled success.”

Meet the cast

Creative

PRODUCTION HISTORY

2016

Central Square Theater

Cambridge, MA
June 9 – July 10, 2016

2015

Dorothy Strelsin Theater

New York, NY
March 11–May 2, 2015

Reviews

Praise for Both What You Will AND Twelfth Night

Every so often, evidence arises that acting might just be the most satisfying profession on the planet. Take the company called Bedlam, which is putting on not one but two inspired productions of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in a small and airless room in the garment district that seats about 50, and making you feel like its members are the luckiest people alive.

Ben Brantley, The New York Times (CRITICS’ PICK)

As if Shakespeare’s penchant for gender-bending weren’t challenge enough, Bedlam reassigns the dozen-odd roles of What You Will—its subtitular twist on Twelfth Night (which it performs, in a folksier version, on alternate nights)—to a mere five actors. Confused yet? You will be, but it’s all part of the fun.

Sandy MacDonald, Time Out New York (CRITICS’ PICK)

Bedlam proves itself to be a theatrical force to be reckoned with. It also sets the bar high for other groups that perform Elizabethan as well as other classics. Enviable the theatergoer who gets to see both versions of Twelfth Night/What You Will from this delightfully inventive theater company. Their invention and talent will awe you.”

Victor Gluck, TheaterScene.net

Bedlam Theatre Company, which specializes in small-scale, no-budget classical revivals that are both RADICALLY INNOVATIVE and WINNINGLY PLAYFUL, has scored yet another success with its double-barreled Twelfth Night.”

Terry Teachout, Wall Street Journal

You could opt to see only one or the other production, and that would be a valid choice. But it would also be a pity; Bedlam’s brainstorm offers us a unique opportunity to see just what a difference any given artistic choice can make, and how a play’s entire tenor (if not its meaning) can change accordingly.”

Kilian Melloy, WBUR