Emit Theatre's 12th Night turns the El Barrio Art Space's courtyard into Illyria, where audience members explore the town and watch the story unfold. In this abridged version, Shakespearean text blends with colloquial improvisation to provide a deeper understanding of the story for audiences of all ages.

Illyria is seeking change. The Illyrians know something in their culture is not working, but they can't identify what. Perhaps, their restriction of the gender spectrum is to blame. After being washed ashore, Viola disguises themselves as a man named Cesario and finds themselves in a love triangle between Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, and Olivia, the Lady of Illyria. A series of shenanigans challenges Viola's ability to maintain their disguise while they interact with the intricacies of Illyrian society.

This adaptation challenges the gender binary by presenting Viola as a non-binary individual forced into a binary world. For this production, Emit Theatre has partnered with the Transgender Training Institute and is working with trans-advocate and performing artist Maybe Burke (they/she) to ensure the show is done safely for actors and audience members.

Audience members get washed ashore along with Viola and become members of the Illyrian society. The space is sandbox style, and participants may move freely and interact with all characters at any time for a deeper understanding of the story.