Door Shakespeare presents TWELFTH NIGHT and GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Mark Corkins as Malvolio and fellow cast members in Door Shakespeare's production of TWELFTH NIGHT, through August 16, 2025, in Baileys Harbor, WI.

By Mary Boyle

One of my favorite places in the state of Wisconsin is Door County. The "thumb" of Wisconsin's mitten, the Door is a narrow peninsula almost completely surrounded by water, with Lake Michigan on the east and Green Bay on the west.  Some would argue that the Door is just like Ozaukee County but with even more tourists, and although both counties have a similar climate and a good stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline, the Door's unparalleled commitment to local food, nature, and the arts, along with a decided lack of billboards, LED lighting,  and industry, gives it a wonderfully relaxed feeling that Oz can't quite achieve. Beyond all of that, the one aspect that really keeps me coming back every season is Door Shakespeare.  For thirty years, this outdoor theatre under a majestic maple tree in the garden of Björklunden, located in Baileys Harbor, has produced both Shakespeare and other classic plays for audiences from all over the country.  This summer, Door Shakespeare has created another summer of outdoor theatre magic with the Bard's TWELFTH NIGHT and an adapatation of Charles Dicken's GREAT EXPECTATIONS.

Directed by Scott Mckenna Campbell, a Door Shakespeare veteran, Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's funniest plays, featuring mistaken identities, misdirected love, and drunken revelry.  Twins Viola and Sebastian (Janyce Caraballo and Gabriel Rodriguez) have washed up on the shore of Illyria after a shipwreck, both certain the other had drowned.  For her safety, Viola disguises herself as Cesario and gains employment in the household of Duke Orsino (Shaughn Aderhold), who immediately puts his new boy in charge of gaining the attention and favor of the Countess Olivia (Rachel J. Jones.  Still mourning the deaths of her father and brother, Olivia already has her hands full with her drunken uncle, Sir Toby Belch (Ryan Schabach), Sir Toby's frequently drunk friend Sir Andrew Aguecheek (Jamey Feshold), and her fool, Feste (Becky Keeshin), who constantly fluster her steward, the pompous Malvolio (Mark Corkins) and are frequently encouraged by Maria (Sierra Miguela Tune), the serving woman.  While Olivia isn't the slightest bit interested in the Duke, she falls like a rock for the Duke's new "boy".  Then, Sebastian, rescued by the sea captain Antonia, shows up in the same town and everyone thinks he's some guy named Cesario. Cue the hijinks.

I would say that Mark Corkins, a Door Shakespeare legend, stole the show with his protrayal of the "notoriously abused" Malvolio, but Ryan Schabach, who also has a long and glorious history at Door Shakespeare, was positively brilliant as the drunken Sir Toby Belch, so I must give the credit to both of them, because they kept me laughing from start to finish.  Jamey Feshold, who is well on his way to becoming a Door Shakespeare regular, was well cast as Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and did his part to further the laughter.  Feste is a key role in Twelfth Night, and Becky Keeshin did it justice with her beautiful voice and ability to play stringed instruments.  In fact, most of the cast participated in creating music throughout the production, which certainly added to the merriment.  Laughter is always appreciated, and this show has it in abundance.

Adapted by Gale Childs Daly and Directed by Samantha Martinson, this version of Charles Dicken's Great Expectations is full of narrative and cleverly streamlined without losing the heart of the story, which centers on Pip (Rachel J. Jones), an orphaned boy whose fortune changes through a series of unusual events.  Raised "by hand" by his sister, Mrs. Joe (Sierra Miguela Tune), Pip is constantly reminded to be grateful for his lot.  Pip never minded that he was destined to become a blacksmith like his sister's husband, Joe Gargery (Ryan Schabach), because although Joe was rather simple-minded, he was always the most kind and loving person in Pip's life.  Then, two events happened that changed Pip's trajectory: he met an escaped convict (Mark Corkins) from a prison ship and brought him food to eat and a file to get out of his chains; then, he was invited to play at the home of Miss Havisham (Sierra Miguela Tune), a wealthy old woman who wished Pip to get acquainted with her adopted daughter, Estella (Janyce Caraballo).  Suddenly, becoming a blacksmith is no longer appealing to Pip; instead, he aspires to be a gentleman.

Aside from Scott McKenna Campbell, who accompanies the play as the musician, each of the six remaining cast members play a multitude of roles to fill out Pip's Victorian Era world, switching quickly between characters with the help of slight costume changes.  Again, Corkins and Schabach shine as veteran actors, but the cast as a whole is strong and they demonstrate feelingly why this story continues to be told: to remind us all that we are here to love each other and that, when all is said and done, it is the love that we give that remains. 

There is one final weekend left of the 2025 Door Shakespeare season and no better way to spend a summer weekend than in the beauty of Door County.  Just two to three hours from Oz, it's perfectly doable to day trip!  My itinerary: depart Oz at 9 a.m. and arrive for lunch at Blue Horse Beach Cafe in Fish Creek, followed by visting nearby shops, with a mandatory stop at the Fish Creek Market.  Head to Sister Bay and give yourself an hour and a half for amazing wood-fired pizza at Wild Tomato, followed by an affagato (or just ice cream) at nearby Analog Ice Cream & Coffee.  Give yourself at least 45 minutes to get over to Björklunden so you have time to see the garden and The Boynton Chapel, a beautiful stave church on the shore of Lake Michigan.  Will you be getting home late?  Yes, you will.  Will it be worth it?  Yes. Yes, it will.

Door Shakespeare's season runs through Saturday, August 16, 2025 at Björklunden, located at 7590 Boynton Ln. in Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin.  Shows are Monday through Saturday: weekdays at 7:30 and Saturdays at 5:00.  Tickets may be purchased online at https://doorshakespeare.com/​, by calling the Daytime Box Office at (920) 854-7111, or at the Björklunden Box Office up to one hour prior to the performance.

About Door Shakespeare
Door Shakespeare was created in 1995 under the umbrella of then-named American Folklore Theater in collaboration with Blue Circle Theatre. The first season, produced in the Garden at Björklunden, included “A Midsommer Night’s Dream” and “The Comedie of Errors,” which played in conjunction with the same acting company performing across the peninsula at American Folklore Theater (now, Northern Sky Theater).  In 1999, and with AFT’s blessing, company member Suzanne Graff and her husband, Jerry Gomes, established Door Shakespeare as its own nonprofit theater company. Since 1999 Door Shakespeare has produced 44 striking productions of classical theater in the Garden of Björklunden’s 425-acre estate on Lake Michigan in Baileys Harbor.  Door Shakespeare’s presence continues to grow and is enriched by educational programming including Door Shakespeare’s Camp Will, Will in the Woods, Shake it up Saturday, and Shakespeare in the Schools.