When University Theatre was searching for the perfect play to begin the 2010-2011 season, the program decided a Shakespearean comedy was an ideal blend of drama and humor.

Twelfth Night, originally set in the Elizabethan era but adapted for the 1920’s in this performance, premiered Thursday night and will continue throughout this weekend.

Allison Bergman, assistant director of University Theatre and the acting instructor and coach for Twelfth Night, said the play is funny and a lot of fun.

“It lends itself well to a period that has a lot of music so it is great being set in the 1920’s in the French Rivera,” Bergman said. “We ended last season with Macbeth, a heavy Shakespearean drama, so we wanted to start with a light, fun comedy of Shakespeare this season.”

Because the University doesn’t offer a theater major, Bergman said students who participate in University Theatre and who will appear in Twelfth Night come from a wide variety of majors.

“University Theatre is a student organization and is paid for by student fees and led by Student Affairs,” Bergman said. “Everything offered by the theater is available to all students in all departments across all majors.”

According to Bergman, any student can take an acting class or be in a play.

“We have students in everything from economics to engineering to poultry science,” Bergman said. “Some students are interested in creative writing and film, so theater is sort of related to their interests.”

One example of the diversity found within University Theatre is Twelfth Night’s lead character, played by Brett Williams, a sophomore in zoology.

“I did theater in high school and heard there were open auditions for the plays [at State] and jumped on the opportunity,” Williams said.

Williams acted in her first play — Into the Woods — last year, but had a smaller role.

“Twelfth Night has been a very different experience having a lead role,” Williams said. “It’s much more time-consuming and more stressful.”

The cast started rehearsals for Twelfth Night the week of Aug. 22 and have had rehearsals almost every night since.

Another challenge for Williams was playing the part of a girl pretending to be a boy.

“I had to act like a boy pretty much the entire show, but it wasn’t that difficult because I am kind of a tomboy already,” Williams said. “It was pretty funny putting my costume on for the first time though.”

The cast had a final dress rehearsal Wednesday night that students were free to attend.

“It’s important for the cast to get the audience reaction and see where the laughs are,” Bergman said.

John McIlwee, director of University Theatre and of Twelfth Night, has worked with the theater program for 25 years.

“I do it for the students,” McIlwee said. “The students, especially the nonmajors, do it because they love theater and not because they have to.”

McIlwee said he was surprised at first by the amount of talent he saw in students who hadn’t chosen theater as their life career, but now he has come to expect a high level of talent.

According to McIlwee, students should come to see Twelfth Night and all the University Theatre shows because they can enrich their college experience.

“These plays are done by students, for students,” McIlwee said. “Even if you haven’t seen Shakespeare before and you think it might be too complex or not interesting, but this show is actually very comedic and open-minded.”

McIlwee said Twelfth Night is something students can relate to because it deals with a lot of themes college students might have to go through.

Jason Cooper, a junior in communication, said he auditioned for Twelfth Night because, as an actor, he wanted to try a Shakespearean play.

“It’s totally different from any other type of play,” Cooper said. “It is difficult but a good challenge, and I have had a lot of fun with it.”

Cooper said acting may not be his primary career, but he definitely wants to keep it a part of his life after graduation.

“I’ll take the opportunities when they are offered to me,” Cooper said.

Bergman said she encourages students to attend the show because theatre gives a different experience than audiences can get from watching a movie.

“You have to be connected to the material because it is live,” Bergman said. “It is fun to see students who aren’t even theater majors up there being brave — you might even know some of them.”