Curious about the cast of Public Works Twelfth Night? We asked a few of the cast members from this amazing adaptation to share their experience rehearsing virtually, their favorite quotes, and much more in a series of interviews. Hear from Neysa Peterson, Cynthia Linet, and Nina Williams-Teramachi in our first Meet the Cast of Twelfth Night interview.

Tell us who you play in Twelfth Night and something about your character.

Neysa Peterson: I am playing Josephine "Jo-Jo" Trudeau, in Seattle Rep's Public Works Twelfth Night. I am one of Illyria's top 15 bakers. I am secretly in love with Olivia and I have been for seven-years since she was a judge on The Great Illyrian Bake Off. She said she loved my scones, and I won! 

Cynthia Linet: I play Leda, the erotic bookseller in Illyria. 

Nina Williams-Teramachi: I play an Illyrian named Hiro. Hiro is a podcast host who is always ready to comment on and spread the word on the street. They also host community improv nights on Fridays at the local bar, The Loose Lips. Hiro will be inviting you to their improv-show every single week.  

What has been your favorite part about working on Twelfth Night? 

NP: It's being a part of such a huge, welcoming, and creative community. And laughing - laughing a lot! So many smiles and twinkling eyes! And people's pets, too!  

CL: To dress up, have fun, and share the experience with so many of my friends. 

NWT: The community is absolutely the best part. Quarantine has been such a hit to my mental health and overall happiness, that I can't even tell you how happy I was the first time I logged into Zoom and saw three pages worth of warm, excited faces that I missed so much. It's also been fun being on this side of the table. For The Odyssey, I was on the stage management team. And since last year, I've been a teaching artist for Public Works. And now I get to join the community ensemble. I've seen a lot of the angles, and all of them are beautiful.  

The cast of Public Works Twelfth Night (2020) rehearsing virtually.

What has it been like rehearsing virtually? 

NP: Rehearsing virtually has been very interesting. I didn't think I would be able to actually feel the energy of the other people in the "room" with me, but it was there. You could really feel everyone's joy. I was so moved during the first rehearsal - seeing everyone's faces, it just made me cry. 

CL: Hanging out with all my friends. 

NWT: Of course it comes with some difficulty - namely that I see these people on screen and all I want to do is share physical space with them and feel that energy. However, the team has done an incredible job making adjustments and imbuing the digital space with the same core principles (equity, imagination, and joy) that we've all come to love and respect.   

Favorite quote from Twelfth Night? 

NP: My favorite quote from the play right now is a line of Feste's, "And thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges."  

CL: "But I feel where you're coming from, cause now I've been there too." 

NWT: "Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit." or "I say there is no darkness but ignorance." 

Describe the cast and creative team of Twelfth Night in three words?   

NP: The three words I find that best describe the cast and creative team of Twelfth Night would be Public Works' own tagline, Equity, Imagination, and Joy! Those really are what they strive for and achieve on such a grand scale.  

CL: Creative, grateful to be there, and brave.

NWT: Warm, joyful, present. 

The cast of Public Works Twelfth Night (2020) rehearsing virtually.

What do you hope audiences take away from Twelfth Night?   

NP: I really hope that audiences take away that you can never really know what another person experiences. We can learn so much about one another if we just take the time to listen and learn, and not always assume we know what other people are going through, or how we think they should feel. That to me, is truly is one of the greatest gifts of theater, to have a momentary glimpse into another's life, feelings, and experiences.  

CL: We must open our eyes and ears and heart to who others are, so that we can have a better world. 

NWT: Warmth. This show is pho for the soul. If anything, even in darkness, there is music and we must play on. 

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