THE NEW YORK TIMES
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1995 - THEATER REVIEW

Sex and Low Humor Beyond Shakespeare's

K.G. Wilson apparently decided that if there is confusion about sex identity in "Twelfth Night,"along with some low humor, there might as well be more of both. In the Kings County Shakespeare Company production playing at the band shell in Prospect Park in Brooklyn through Sunday, this energetic director changes several male roles into female ones and often turns the antics of Sir Toby Belch and his friends into slapstick. (The one person who always rises above that level is Lynn Marie Macy as Maria the maid: bawdy, sexy, smart, as tempting as spiced honey.) This performance inspires more laughter than most productions, but at a cost. What is lost is air of romance that should infuse the opening scenes and, at the end, give an audience a sense of fulfillment that makes it forget humiliating moments in between. Lisa M. Bostnar's Olivia is so comically lustful in her pursuit of Viola disguised as Cesario (Renee Buciarelli) that it is hard to believe Duke Orsino would really be so passionate about Olivia. But this Orsino (Michael Oberlander) is played as pretty lighthearted, so who knows?

Ms. Wilson is more successful with a couple of sexual role transformations: Deborah Wright Houston as Feste the clown and Karen Eterovich as Fabienne (not Fabian) are wonderfully funny. But turning Malvollo into Malvolia is probably a mistake. Vicki Hirsch is a valiant comic who makes a fine fool of this character, but the rough treatment she suffers makes her seem much more a mere victim than a Malvolio can safely be if the play is to remain a comedy.

D. J. R. BRUCKNER

TWELFTH NIGHT

By William Shakespeare; directed by K.G. Wilson; set by Tom Crisp; lighting by BW Bradford; music by Esquizito; fight director, Lucie Chin; production stage manager, William Doyle. Presented by the Kings County Shakespeare Company at the band shell in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, though Sunday. WITH: Lisa M. Bostnar (Olivia), Renee Bucciarelli (Viola), Michael Oberlander (Orsino) Lynn Marie Macy (Maria), Deborah Wright Houston (Feste), Karen Eterovich (Fabienne) and Vicki Hirsch, (Malvolia).