Directing: Ages in Twelfth Night?

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Ages in Twelfth Night?

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2587
Printed Date: 4/29/24 at 4:49am
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Topic: Ages in Twelfth Night?

Posted By: whitebat
Subject: Ages in Twelfth Night?
Date Posted: 8/18/07 at 11:13pm

I would like to get others' opinions on what the relative and absolute ages of the characters in "Twelfth Night" are. I think from the text we have that Sebastian and Olivia's father died when they were both 13, but I'm not sure there's anything as to how long after that the story takes place. Also, we know from the text that Orsino is enough older than Viola to make a difference.

Replies:

Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 10/25/07 at 3:06pm

Am I misremembering, or do you have your Viola and Olivia reversed there?

Actually, when I was in it our Orsino was younger than Viola. It was a college production, and us "old guys" played Toby, Andrew, Feste, and Malvolio, and the kids played the rest. (Note that this was some fifteen years ago, and I was an old guy then.)

So long as Sebastian and Viola are about the same age, and Olivia and Orsino aren't so old or young as to have the cops called, I don't think I'd worry about it.

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POB
Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard