"Mostly by the numbers but sometimes pushes through the pentameter into something nastier and more surprising...Maria Aitken’s production for the Acting Company — sturdy, reasonably brisk — doesn’t have much of a sense of time or place...If music be the food of love, this 'Twelfth Night' plays the same old tune. But as the play goes on, the music jangles...This production is at its best when it’s at its ugliest. It could have been uglier."
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“Aitken satisfyingly stages this love triangle, with the principal players delivering good performances. Heflin gives the most memorable turn...playing Olivia with a fascinating mixture of authority and insecurity...It's a fitful synthesis, leading some of the comedy to feel awfully labored...Aitken never lets us forget the violent authoritarian power that undergirds this story...If she could make that comedy actually funny, this production would really be something.”
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“Plenty of wild things happen...some of them seemingly motivated by nothing more than authorial fiat, and Aitken sets out to impose logic and order on these frantic, farcical proceedings; to an unexpectedly great extent, she succeeds...This is the rare ‘Twelfth Night’ that errs on the side of sophistication...There is real pleasure to be had in its solid character insights and its clear-eyed view of the mess created by even the most authentic romantic feelings.”
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"Rarely have so many players toiled so strenuously to make a Shakespeare comedy spring to raucous life. Rarely have so many players fallen so wide of the mark. To be fair, it needs be said that the supposedly hilarious Shakespeare characters require especially deft handling to amuse contemporary audiences. But while excusing actors not up to the challenge, though valiantly attempting to get there, may be appropriate, enjoying their deficiency is not possible."
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"Unfortunately, neither the sexiness nor the whimsy of Shakespeare’s romantic comedy is fully served by this uneven staging...Can feel labored or curiously staid at points—though there are lovely bits, both funny and moving, for those who stick with it. This production is very much anchored by its Viola, played by Stahlmann, a young actress whose resonant voice, coltish beauty, and sturdy presence suggest both innocence and resolve."
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"British director Maria Aitken working with both The Acting Company alums and members of Delaware's Resident Ensemble Players has much to add in her production of the ever-popular 'Twelfth Night.' A specialist in drawing room comedy (Oscar Wilde, Noel Coward, Alan Ayckbourn) and an actress herself, Aitken has placed the emphasis on sophisticated rather than comedy. Though there is still slapstick, there aren't many laughs though the production sparkles."
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"Maria Aitken and the Acting Company have pulled something delightfully awkward and unpleasant to the surface in their production, diving into darker themes usually glossed over by wilder, more charismatic takes on the story...Such a nuanced message is only possible because the cast delivers on the Acting Company's promise of excellent text work, playing their parts with subtlety, clarity and smoothness."
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"Plainly directed with a good ear for music but not for symbiotic revelry by Maria Aitken, the production surprisingly doesn’t find its groove on that oddly orchestrated stage...The fun, it seems, is sorely missing throughout, and it and love are awkwardly resurrected for the final scene. It all comes together as clumsy as Viola’s foot work, stumbling around the stage until all is made right."
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