Jarrett Smith (Maria) and Chuck Scatolini (Toby Belch)

Do you enjoy watching your friends and neighbors dress up, adopt English accents and run around the forest? Then you’re sure to enjoy Sierra Classic Theatre’s production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night under the pines at Sam’s Wood Site beginning next Friday night.

SCT’s outdoor production of Merry Wives of Windsor last summer drew large audiences, prompting Director Allison Page to come back for more.

She describes Twelfth Night as “not quite as light” as Merry Wives, but better known, and still filled with a lot of pranks and cases of mistaken identity.

Though Shakespeare’s original story was set on an island following a shipwreck, Page has changed the setting to a small western town circa 1900. Instead of a shipwreck, there’s a wagon train caught in a desert storm.

This year, one of Page’s goals has been to upgrade the production values. To that end, Eastern Sierra Audio will provide set mikes. There will also be lights.

As opposed to Merry Wives, Page said Twelfth Night starts right away and is a clearer story. There will also be a synopsis of the story in the program for those who may miss a line or otherwise get a little lost.

All shows (July 22-24 and July 29-31) will start at 6 p.m. and are anticipated to run two-and-a-half hours (including intermission). The public is encouraged to come early, dress appropriately (jackets and blankets) and feel free to bring a picnic – and a comfy chair.

The suggested donation for the performance is $5. This year, expect the suggestion to be made more strongly. Last year, nearly 1,000 people attended one of the shows, but just a little over $1,000 was collected at the door, meaning … the wildly successful show still lost money.

“If we wish to continue to spend more money on our productions, we need public support,” said Page, who now serves as SCT’s Board Director.

When asked if she had already looked ahead to future summer productions, Page simply said that summer is for comedy. “Summer is not a time for deep drama,” she said. “We have a two-month summer here … keep it light.”

She is not, however, married to Shakespeare and is considering Moliere for next year.

A professional actress for 15 years before moving to Mammoth, Page, a realtor with the Snowcreek Property Co.,. said her return to theater “makes me happy … it’s bringing me back to what I used to do.”

The cast

Toby Belch: Chuck Scatolini

Maria: Jarrett Smith

Malvolio: Mike Dostrow

Viola: Morgan Lindsay

Olivia: Julia Runcie

Valentine: Mo Jacob

Aquecheek: Jody Ecklund

Clown/Feste: Sam Taylor

Antonio: Erica Sutch

Floria: Marlene Piper

Duke Orsino: Jim Marcotte

Sebastian: Jason Crockett

Wagon Driver: Skyler Simpkind

Officer 1: Sabrina Clevenger

Sets/ tech: Sean Burditt

Music: Jon Jacoby