Twelfth Night: Story and Spectacle at the American Shakespeare Center

Join Lifetime Learning for a day of Shakespearean pageantry and see Twelfth Night at the American Shakespeare Center, home to the world’s only reproduction of the Blackfriar’s Playhouse. This program will include:

• A behind-the-scenes look at Shakespeare with UVA Department of Drama faculty Caroline Cook, Costume Designer and Technologist, and Colleen Kelly, Professor Emerita of Drama. You can find the description of their lectures below.
• A riveting performance of Twelfth Night. Learn more about the play at the American Shakespeare Center website.
• Breakfast pastries and coffee/tea and a lunch buffet at nearby Hotel 24 South.
• Registration Ends on April 10, 2025 (Limited Spaces) Register Early!

Dressing the Story: Costume Design from Concept to Stage

Caroline Cook, Costume Designer and Technologist, Department of Drama, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, will explore the complete journey of costume design, tracing the process from initial concept to its realization on stage. She will examine how designers interpret scripts and characters, conduct visual and historical research, and translate ideas into sketches, fabric choices, and construction. The talk also highlights collaboration with directors, performers, and production teams, as well as the practical considerations of movement, durability, and storytelling. Ultimately, she reveals how costumes evolve through fittings and rehearsals to become a vital element of the final stage performance.

Shakespeare in Action

Discover what it takes for directors and actors to bring Shakespeare from the page to the stage and what important role the bard expected the audience to play. Colleen Kelly, Professor Emerita of Drama, Department of Drama, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, will share the textual treasure map that Shakespeare embedded in his plays to help bring his characters to life.

Caroline Cook, Costume Designer and Technologist, Department of Drama, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Caroline has worked as a costume designer and technician since 2006. For the last year, Cook has worked in the Department of Drama and looks forward to costuming students for many more future performances. She has held positions at The Opera Theatre of St. Louis and The Santa Fe Opera. She has an MFA in Costume Design and Technology from UVA Drama and BA in Sociology from Ithaca College.

Colleen Kelly, Professor Emerita of Drama, Department of Drama, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

During her tenure at UVA, Colleen Kelly, Professor Emerita of Drama, Department of Drama, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, served as Director of the M.F.A. Professional Actor Training Program, Department Chair, and Interim Artistic Director of the Virginia Theatre Festival (formerly Heritage Theatre Festival). Colleen, who is a member of the Actors’ Equity Association, has worked as an actor, director, fight director, and dance choreographer at professional theatres across the country. Through her work at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Old Globe Theatres, and the American Shakespeare Center, she has “completed the canon”—working on some plays, such as Romeo and Juliet, numerous times. Her service to the field includes: board member of the University Resident Theatre Association (URTA), a founding board member and former president of the Association of Theatre Movement Educators, a former vice president of the Virginia Theatre Association and a former vice president of the Society of American Fight Directors. She is recipient of the ATME Lifetime Achievement Award, the SAFD President’s Award, and VTA’s “Ginny” Award.

Participants must be 18 years of age or older.

Tickets may not be transferred to another person (no substitutes).

Cancellation Policy: Participants may cancel their registration for this One-Day UVA program by emailing John Pilat at [email protected]. John will send an email notification confirming your cancellation.

Refund Policy: If Lifetime Learning (via John) receives your cancellation email before 3:00 pm on March 20, 2026, you will receive a full refund of your registration fee.

Refunds will not be issued if we receive your cancellation email after 3:01 pm on March 20, 2026.

Parking is available in the New Street Parking Garage for $7.50 per day. The New Street Parking Garage address is 35 South New Street, Staunton, VA 24401.

The program will begin at Hotel 24 South. This venue is located next door to the theater, at 24 South Market Street, Staunton, VA 24401.

The American Shakespeare Center is located at 10 S Market St, Staunton, VA 24401.

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