This year’s incarnation of Shakespeare’s gender-switch comedy Twelfth Night, Midsommer Flight’s holiday tradition returns to the Lincoln Park Conservatory as “an immersive journey.” Under director Kristina McCloskey (with associate director Stephanie Mattos), “Audience members will follow performers promenade-style from scene to scene, often having to choose which characters or plot points they’d like to follow.” Unfortunately, once you have chosen, you must commit to your choice—and I regretted a few of mine. And sometimes, you are forbidden from choosing which scene to follow when too many others have made a choice. As a result, I caught much of the interplay between Cesario, Orsino and Olivia (except for the part about how Viola became Cesario). I missed almost the entire subplot involving the maltreatment of Malvolio by Sir Toby, Maria, Aguecheek and Feste. I did see the moment when Antonio revealed to Sebastian that he could not show his face in Illyria, but others did not, which would make Antonio’s intervention on behalf of Cesario seem baffling to an audience unfamiliar with the play. There is still a lot to like in this Twelfth Night, likely more than I can report on. The amazing setting—which one can see even more of this year—is a bonus, especially if one likes a walk. The original music and songs by Elizabeth Rentfro and Alex Mauney (with additional music by Grant Brown, Caroline Kidwell and Lexy Hope Weixel, returning from previous productions) underscore the emotions and action of play. There are some strong performances. However, the “choose your own adventure” mode would make this a very confusing evening for anyone unfamiliar with the play. For anyone who wants to see how all the characters develop, it can be frustrating. Allowing the audience to promenade a little more freely might help, but ultimately, no matter which direction one goes, one will miss a lot.

Though I saw too little of some characters to form an opinion on the performances, I was able to see some almost fully. As Viola/Cesario, John Payne brings a little too much gravitas to the role, belying the character’s youth. Their voice can also be drowned out by the surroundings, though they create beautiful, intimate moments with Orsino, Olivia and Feste alike (the relationship with Feste, which can get lost sometimes, is amplified in this production to great effect as the intermediaries between the two courts find communion in their alienation from both worlds). Amy Malcom’s Olivia lacks the mournful hauteur normally found in Olivia, her grief for her brother seeming more like a figurative “headache” presented as a reason for rejecting Orsino’s advances, but she brings warmth and humor to her interactions with her court, and a palpable desire to her interactions with Cesario. As Orsino, Polley Cooney captures the nobleman’s imperious egocentrism at the outset, while slowly growing into the recognition that love cannot be demanded. Izis Mollinedo’s wise Feste becomes the glue of the production, providing much of the musical accompaniment as well as the clever wordplay that shows the foolishness of the many unrequited crushes. With a powerful singing voice and wry wit, Mollinedo is a worthy foil to the passions. Kathleen Mitchell is a powerful and passionate Antonio, who mysteriously risks all for Sebastian; in this production, Antonio’s attraction to Sebastian is obvious, though Audrey Napoli’s Sebastian seems much more ambivalent. I wish I had seen more of Tatiana Pavela and Grant Brown as Maria and Sir Toby Belch, respectively, as well as Lexy Hope Weixel’s Sir Andrew Aguecheek (though I appreciated Weixel’s hangdog, sniveling Aguecheek in the moments I did see—particularly in the ill-fated duel). Sonia Goldberg as Malvolio brought a heartrending sense of betrayal to the character’s imprisonment (though they were unnecessarily hidden behind a screen from my vantage point), followed by a seismic rage in the final scene, though I missed the machinations that brought Malvolio to this point. Special mention should go to ensemble members Kristen Alesia and Jillian Leff, who take on multiple other roles (Leff is very entertaining as Valentine), help manage audience movement, and provide musical accompaniment and vocals.

Directors Kristina McCloskey and Stephanie Mattos have done their best to bring the parts together in key moments, but much of the action still takes place in the next room, no matter which room one is in. This is not helped by the ending, which involves some nice reconciliations, but ultimately feels abrupt—while the typical resolution is too tidy and forced, in this production, the ending feels irresolute. As to the design, the backdrop to the action could not be more beautiful. Placing the Olivia’s first scene in the Orchid House is inspired, and the action allows for a good viewing of much of the Lincoln Park Conservatory. Unfortunately, the foliage can also make sightlines tricky, and some lines get lost in the ambient sound. The costumes by Cindy Moon range across time but convey the stations of the characters; the Hawaiian cruise-themed stage management is a nice tongue-in-cheek touch and Antonio’s, Viola’s and Sebastian’s costumes all have a vaguely nautical feel that works well. Props and scenery by Nina D’Angier are minimal, as they must be, but create effective spaces for Olivia and Orsino, and lend some specificity to the various scenes. The team of stage managers also deserves praise for keeping the audience moving, helping people who need assistance and guiding audience members to spaces for viewing—though they will probably hone their parts in this performance as they encounter all the many pitfalls this format potentially contains.

Though Midsommer Flight’s Twelfth Night is still a beautiful and joyful version of Shakespeare’s comedy, the “choose your own adventure” format, while an interesting concept, contains more problems than payoffs. For anyone unfamiliar with the play, the already confusing plot would be nearly impossible to follow. Those who are familiar may still miss favorite scenes. The performances are entertaining, and the music brings the love story to life. However, with each audience member following a different path, no one gets the whole story, and there is a lot of story to miss in Twelfth Night.

Midsommer Flight’s Twelfth Night runs through December 19, Thursday – Sunday at 7:30pm at the Lincoln Park Conservatory, 2391 N. Stockton Drive, Chicago, IL 60614. Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a suggested donation of $30, and are available at Twelfth Night (Winter 2021) | Midsommer Flight. Audience members must wear masks and stand during the performance (accommodations for mobility can be made with advance notice), which runs 100 minutes, and must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.