The Gaslight Theatre Company will present Shakespeare’s classic Twelfth Night at Bracken Theatre Company’s Showcase Stage. Performance dates are August 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12 at 7:30. Tickets are $7. Reservations are not required and tickets can be purchased at the door.

Twelfth Night was the last of Shakespeare’s three mature comedies, following Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It. It was also followed shortly by Shakespeare’s first major tragedy, Hamlet. The crucial position Twelfth Night takes in the creation of these masterpieces is reflected in the comedy’s subtle complexity. It maintains the celebration of love characteristic of its predecessors, yet it is distinguished by a disquieting undercurrent that suggests that playwright’s need to delve into the deeper realms of the human heart and mind.

The principal plot contains a shipwrecked brother and sister separated on the fantastical island Illyria. When Viola chooses to disguise herself as a young man to gain employment with a lovesick duke, it only takes the return of her brother to set off a series of mistaken identities and quite a bit of humor.

It is also worth noting that Twelfth Night is directed by Sean McKeown, co-founder of Gaslight Theatre. McKeown recently won accolades for his direction of Gaslight’s Moon for the Misbegotten at this year’s PACT and ESTA festivals.

For reservations call 824-8266. For more information you can also visit Gaslight’s website gaslight-theatre.org.