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By Michele Tjin

The Bard is the king of mistaken identities and romantic complications, and Saratoga High School students have no qualms about bringing one of his comedies, rich with mixed signals and confusion, to the stage.

Sarah Thermond, a senior, is trying her hand at directing a cast and crew of her peers in a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in the final student-run drama of the year. It will run May 3, 5 and 11.

Saratoga hasn't done too much Shakespeare, she said, and the time is right for another Elizabethan classic.

"It provides a lot of roles," she said. "I wanted to give roles to as many students as possible."

Twelfth Night is about shipwrecked twins who get separated. The sister, Viola, dresses up as a man and works for a duke who is in love with a woman, Olivia, who in turn falls for Viola acting as a man. Viola, on the other hand, is in love with the duke. Confusion follows when she is reunited with her brother Sebastian.

"I like the characters because they show a lot of examples of love," Sarah said, citing infatuation, obsessive love, love at first sight and love developed over time between couples.

It hasn't been the easiest time for Sarah and her troupe of 20 actors to rehearse, however. Because of school trips, vacation breaks and other drama productions vying for practice space, the cast hasn't been able to get in as much rehearsal time as it wanted. Just one week before the play was to open, rehearsals were cut short by a Southern California choir competition that involved half the cast. Sarah figured she'd have to schedule practices at Disneyland, she joked.

Besides the external distractions, the nature of the script has been challenging, as well. Sarah has spent several weeks making sure the actors know the meaning behind their lines, and the time spent has been worth it, others say.

"It's like a different language," said senior Andrin Foster. "We need to be word for word. With other productions, you can improvise. You can't improvise in iambic pentameter."

Shakespeare may seem difficult to get through, but Andrin, who also choreographed the sword fights, said Shakespeare can be relevant today, even to high school students. If students are exposed more to his work, they can identify with his characters, he said.

"He shows the human experience," Andrin said. "He tries to convey all the human emotions."

From grief to confusion to love, the sentiments portrayed in the play are broad and varied, said Eddie Zhang, a sophomore who is in his first show at Saratoga.

Despite the logistical details, Sarah said the community is in for a treat. Residents can catch familiar faces who often appear in the school's bigger productions, as well as newcomers to the stage.

"The community would be impressed with the talent they see," the young director said.

'Twelfth Night' will run May 3, 5 and 11, 7:30 p.m., at the Little Theater at Saratoga High School, 20300 Herriman Ave. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students and seniors. To purchase tickets, call the activities office 408.867.3411, ext. 20, or Cathie Thermond at 408.741.1520.