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After a 19-year hiatus, Fort Bend County Libraries is excited to announce the return of the Shakespeare-by-the-Book Festival this fall!

In conjunction with The Live Oak Playhouse, Fort Bend County Libraries will present live theatrical performances of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night – an uproariously funny romantic comedy with a 1980s twist -- at George Memorial Library in Richmond on Saturdays and Sundays, October 5 and 6 and October 12 and 13, beginning at 1:30 pm, in the library’s Jodie E. Stavinoha Amphitheater.

The festival will feature a very “1980s retro neon” version of Twelfth Night, directed by Joseph “Chepe” Lockett with The Live Oak Playhouse. A thorough “Bardolater,” he has acted in or directed 25 of Shakespeare’s 38 plays. Artistic production is also provided by The Live Oak Playhouse.

A retro romp of mistaken identities and happy endings, Twelfth Night is packed with mix-ups, disguises, and romantic shenanigans. The play begins when a ferocious storm leaves twins, Viola and Sebastian, shipwrecked and separated for most of the play. Thinking Sebastian drowned in the storm, Viola must make her way on her own, disguises herself as a young man named Cesario, and enters the service of Duke Orsino. The duke is in love with Countess Olivia and instructs Cesario to plead his suit to the reluctant Olivia. Upon meeting Viola/Cesario, Olivia falls in love with her, thinking she is a man. Meanwhile, Viola has fallen in love with Orsino, creating a love triangle and a riotous disorder full of misunderstandings and mistaken identities.

“Taking a play written 400 years ago and pairing it with styles and music from the 1980s may seem odd at first, but it’s right in line with Shakespeare’s practice,” says director Joseph “Chepe” Lockett, who also compares the library’s outdoor amphitheater to the original Shakespeare experience for London audiences in the early 1600s. “In fact, Shakespeare’s own audiences sat outdoors for daytime performances, much as today’s audience does at the library.”

During its previous 18-year run from 1987 to 2005, Fort Bend County Libraries’ Shakespeare-by-the-Book Festival was a popular family event drawing people from around the state, introducing many theatergoers of all ages to the literary work of William Shakespeare in a way that was understandable and entertaining.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to bring the Shakespeare-by-the-Book Festival back to the library,” says Monique Franklin, Interim Library Director. “Many people received their first introduction to the works of William Shakespeare through the library’s original Shakespeare-by-the-Book performances so many years ago. We hope those same theatergoers will now return with their children and grandchildren for this new chapter of the festival.”

The Live Oak Playhouse is a nonprofit community-theater group in Missouri City that is dedicated to enriching the lives of their audiences by presenting entertaining, thought-provoking experiences, first-hand involvement, and arts education.

Part of Fort Bend County Libraries’ “On Stage at the George” series, the live theatrical performances are presented FREE to the public.

Seating in the outdoor theater is concrete, so theatergoers are encouraged to bring stadium seats or cushions. Beach and lawn chairs will be allowed ONLY in two designated rows of the amphitheater, and space is available strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. Glass bottles and alcoholic beverages are not permitted.

Fort Bend County Libraries’ George Memorial Library is located at 1001 Golfview in Richmond.

For more information, see the Fort Bend County Libraries website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us) or call the library system’s Communications Office (281-633-4734).