DMTC presents 'Twelfth Night' at brand-new Black Box Theatre

A fresh adaptation of a Shakespearean classic opens Detroit Mercy Theatre Company’s 55th season and celebrates the company’s return to the McNichols Campus with the opening of the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre.

Performances are set for back-to-back weekends, Friday through Sunday, Nov. 7-9 and Nov. 14-16.

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare and adapted by Marc Palmieri follows twins Viola and Sebastian, separated by a shipwreck and stranded on the peculiar land of Illyria. Disguising herself as a young man, Viola finds employment in the service of the noble Duke Orsino, only to fall hopelessly in love with him. But Orsino has his sights set on the enigmatic Countess Olivia and enlists Viola—unaware of her identity—to carry his amorous pleas. In an unexpected twist, Olivia finds herself smitten with the disguised Viola instead.

“Shakespeare is always relevant to today’s world, which is why his plays have remained with us for so long,” said Andrew Papa, chair of the Department of Performing Arts. “Not only that, Twelfth Night is one of his best comedies, and it’s in times like these that comedies are just the reprieve the world needs.”

This production marks the debut of the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre. This modern performance space will give students the opportunity to develop their craft and share their work with audiences, while also providing a welcoming place for cultural and artistic events that will benefit both the campus and the wider community.

“After more than a decade away, Detroit Mercy Theatre Company is thrilled to be returning home to McNichols Campus,” said Sarah Hawkins Rusk, managing director of DMTC and director of Twelfth Night. “Our new theatre will be a dynamic hub for creativity on campus, offering students a professional-caliber space to learn and grow.”

Joining the students on stage for this celebratory production are chair Andrew Papa and UDM alumni Peter Prouty ’00 and Kaelyn Johnson ’22.

“As an actor in the show, it’s refreshing to perform alongside our eager students and our stellar alumni,” Papa said. “Getting the opportunity to perform with our students and some of our top alumni has been an incomparable experience, and I look forward to bringing this text to life in our brand-new, permanent home for the arts at University of Detroit Mercy.”

Twelfth Night runs six performances Nov. 7-16 at the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre on University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus. The DMTC Ticket Office is open Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., with tickets being available for purchase anytime online at www.DetroitMercyArts.com.

Individual tickets are $25 for adults, $18 for seniors and Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and alumni, and $10 for veterans and students (ages 4-college). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To schedule your group, contact Sarah Rusk at 313-993-3273.