Character Break Down
12th Night Character Break Down
Feste
Our Emcee/ Narrator/ Host of sorts. Feste is a playful and earnest clown. Must have a deep heart and the ability to dance, sing and croon. A court jester with a heart of gold. Feste is a busking musician and must self-accompany on at least one instrument. Piano, Uke and accordion are scripted, flexible options. Leads with the music. Soprano/ Belter
Viola
She’s all kinds of lost. Both literally and figuratively. A young woman that washes up on the shores of Illyria, Viola ends up dressed as the boy Cesario to get a job working for Orsino. It’s a mess. She really wants to find her brother. And maybe hook up with her boss? Leads with the acting. Mezzo/ Belter
Sebastian
He’s all kinds of lost. Both literally and figuratively. A young man that is missing off the shores of Illyria. Sebastian gets stuck wondering around with his best friend Antionio looking for his sister. It’s a mess. And maybe hook up with a hot countess in town? Leads with the acting. Bari-Tenor
Viola and Sebastian must look enough alike to be mistaken for each other. We’re looking for pairs of actors that are sharp enough to have similar physical behaviors and be of similar build/ height and have SOME similar features. Remember, it’s all in the acting!
Olivia
An Illyrian countess, who’s in mourning. Her sadness is a full time job and identity. She literally brings a funeral band with her – everywhere. When a cute new boy catches her eye, she catches massive feels, and things start to turn around, until they don’t. Leads with the comic chops. Alto/ Blues Style
Orsino
An Illyrian duke, who’s got a serious crush on his sad neighbor Olivia. He’s a dreamy, stylish, man of the world, but he’s also a bit of a chicken so he hires someone to help him score a date. It doesn’t quite go as planned. Our hotmess romantic hero. Tenor/ Pop Style
Malvolio
Olivia’s head of house. An uptight master butler that loves his job almost as much as he loves himself – and his boss. That can’t backfire, right? The actor who plays Malvolio must be utterly as ridiculous as he is fearless. Malvolio is the the center of the story and the kick-line. Bari-Tenor/ Broadway Style, must move well.
Toby
Olivia’s sloppy uncle. His name means Sir Farts and Burps a lot. And he does because he drinks and eats a lot too. Toby exists to mess with the people he loves, and he lives for a good prank. Leads with the physical comedy. Baritone, must move well.
Maria
Maria (muh-rye-yah) is Olivia’s personal assistant, and Toby’s main squeeze. She’s your favorite auntie, the one you cry to, the one who knows ALL the tea. She’s orchestrates the prank of the century on Malvolio. Leads with the comedy. Alto, must move well.
Andrew
Toby’s side kick. He’s as socially awkward and as needy as possible. Thinks he’s quite a good dancer - jury’s out on that. But thanks to his prankster friends he finds himself in a duel with a young buck he cannot handle. Leads with the physical comedy. Baritone, must move well.
Fabian
Groundskeeper to Oliva, and friend of the other pranksters, Toby, Maria and Andrew. Finds himself quite in the middle of a pickle with a port o’ potty. Leads with the physical comedy. Baritone, must move well.
Antonio
Loyal friend to Sebastian. He can’t hang out in Illyria to look for Viola though. The authorities might see his criminal record from ten miles away. Is he an ex-con? A thug on the run? Mistaken for a bad guy? Not sure, but his love for Sebastian is as true as a day is long. A tough guy with a soft center. Leads with the acting. Baritone
The Illyrians
An 8 pack of triple threats who show up Supremes-Style to push everyone’s buttons. They gossip, they strut, they shake a tail feather! Mixed gender and voice parts, but MUST dance well and hold harmony self sufficiently. There’s a can-can, a Mulan-like fight dance, and 8 other musical numbers that include American Sign Language, broadway, modern and jazz style movement. There’s plenty of room to play, grow and to have quite the party.
The Funeral Band
Olivia’s entourage which announce her every move - until they don’t. Musician/ actors who play any of the following encouraged – Trumpet, Sax, Trombone, marching snare, marching bass drum.
The Officiant – Marries the marriers and sings the final feature. Can be any voice part, but must be a Queen or King that is so worth waiting for the finale for!
Mail Carrier – Looks great in US Postal Service uniform. A bend and snap moment.
First Officer, Second Officer – Police officers report for duty, but make it fashion. Sharp and professional, looks great in navy.
Attendant/ Child – Seeking some sassy siblings to staff a small children’s cohort of Illyrians which includes this kid feature that gets to play with Feste. Kids who play instruments, even better!
The Band
The band is visible on stage for the entirety of the show. They will be costumed accordingly and will interact with the cast and audience as necessary. Feste is part of the band, and could possibly play one of the Keyboard books.
Additional band members include the following:
Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
Kit Percussion
Electric Guitar/ Ukulele
Bass Guitar
Feste
Our Emcee/ Narrator/ Host of sorts. Feste is a playful and earnest clown. Must have a deep heart and the ability to dance, sing and croon. A court jester with a heart of gold. Feste is a busking musician and must self-accompany on at least one instrument. Piano, Uke and accordion are scripted, flexible options. Leads with the music. Soprano/ Belter
Viola
She’s all kinds of lost. Both literally and figuratively. A young woman that washes up on the shores of Illyria, Viola ends up dressed as the boy Cesario to get a job working for Orsino. It’s a mess. She really wants to find her brother. And maybe hook up with her boss? Leads with the acting. Mezzo/ Belter
Sebastian
He’s all kinds of lost. Both literally and figuratively. A young man that is missing off the shores of Illyria. Sebastian gets stuck wondering around with his best friend Antionio looking for his sister. It’s a mess. And maybe hook up with a hot countess in town? Leads with the acting. Bari-Tenor
Viola and Sebastian must look enough alike to be mistaken for each other. We’re looking for pairs of actors that are sharp enough to have similar physical behaviors and be of similar build/ height and have SOME similar features. Remember, it’s all in the acting!
Olivia
An Illyrian countess, who’s in mourning. Her sadness is a full time job and identity. She literally brings a funeral band with her – everywhere. When a cute new boy catches her eye, she catches massive feels, and things start to turn around, until they don’t. Leads with the comic chops. Alto/ Blues Style
Orsino
An Illyrian duke, who’s got a serious crush on his sad neighbor Olivia. He’s a dreamy, stylish, man of the world, but he’s also a bit of a chicken so he hires someone to help him score a date. It doesn’t quite go as planned. Our hotmess romantic hero. Tenor/ Pop Style
Malvolio
Olivia’s head of house. An uptight master butler that loves his job almost as much as he loves himself – and his boss. That can’t backfire, right? The actor who plays Malvolio must be utterly as ridiculous as he is fearless. Malvolio is the the center of the story and the kick-line. Bari-Tenor/ Broadway Style, must move well.
Toby
Olivia’s sloppy uncle. His name means Sir Farts and Burps a lot. And he does because he drinks and eats a lot too. Toby exists to mess with the people he loves, and he lives for a good prank. Leads with the physical comedy. Baritone, must move well.
Maria
Maria (muh-rye-yah) is Olivia’s personal assistant, and Toby’s main squeeze. She’s your favorite auntie, the one you cry to, the one who knows ALL the tea. She’s orchestrates the prank of the century on Malvolio. Leads with the comedy. Alto, must move well.
Andrew
Toby’s side kick. He’s as socially awkward and as needy as possible. Thinks he’s quite a good dancer - jury’s out on that. But thanks to his prankster friends he finds himself in a duel with a young buck he cannot handle. Leads with the physical comedy. Baritone, must move well.
Fabian
Groundskeeper to Oliva, and friend of the other pranksters, Toby, Maria and Andrew. Finds himself quite in the middle of a pickle with a port o’ potty. Leads with the physical comedy. Baritone, must move well.
Antonio
Loyal friend to Sebastian. He can’t hang out in Illyria to look for Viola though. The authorities might see his criminal record from ten miles away. Is he an ex-con? A thug on the run? Mistaken for a bad guy? Not sure, but his love for Sebastian is as true as a day is long. A tough guy with a soft center. Leads with the acting. Baritone
The Illyrians
An 8 pack of triple threats who show up Supremes-Style to push everyone’s buttons. They gossip, they strut, they shake a tail feather! Mixed gender and voice parts, but MUST dance well and hold harmony self sufficiently. There’s a can-can, a Mulan-like fight dance, and 8 other musical numbers that include American Sign Language, broadway, modern and jazz style movement. There’s plenty of room to play, grow and to have quite the party.
The Funeral Band
Olivia’s entourage which announce her every move - until they don’t. Musician/ actors who play any of the following encouraged – Trumpet, Sax, Trombone, marching snare, marching bass drum.
The Officiant – Marries the marriers and sings the final feature. Can be any voice part, but must be a Queen or King that is so worth waiting for the finale for!
Mail Carrier – Looks great in US Postal Service uniform. A bend and snap moment.
First Officer, Second Officer – Police officers report for duty, but make it fashion. Sharp and professional, looks great in navy.
Attendant/ Child – Seeking some sassy siblings to staff a small children’s cohort of Illyrians which includes this kid feature that gets to play with Feste. Kids who play instruments, even better!
The Band
The band is visible on stage for the entirety of the show. They will be costumed accordingly and will interact with the cast and audience as necessary. Feste is part of the band, and could possibly play one of the Keyboard books.
Additional band members include the following:
Keyboard 1
Keyboard 2
Kit Percussion
Electric Guitar/ Ukulele
Bass Guitar