Performed on a simple set filled with grassy rolling hills and a naturally atmospheric backdrop that included the nearby Belvedere Castle, Anne and her co-stars Audra McDonald and Raul Esparza each offered up rivotnig performances that had people lining up for hours despite it being arguably one of the rainiest and gloomiest summer days in NYC history.
Anne reportedly prepared for the gender-bending role of Viola, a girl who disguises herself as a man called Cesario, by walking through the streets of New York City in drag.
“I wake up in the morning and the first breath I take is in the devotion of acting… I was feeling like I could do more to get into my character,” she tells New York magazine. “So I decided, what if I walked around New York trying to pass for a boy? What if I had to make people look twice to figure out what I was? I kind of got dressed up, and there were six photographers outside… It’s the most delicious, exhausting challenge.”
Twelfth Night has been getting rave reviews and it runs until July 12 at the Delacorte Theater. So if you’re near the Big Apple, be sure to check it out! (Oh, and did we mention it’s free?)
