MALVOLIO is an irreverent comedy and sequel to Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT. It’s wartime. A lowborn steward, Malvolio, has risen to the rank of general. He is determined to seek vengeance on a cast of characters who tormented him twenty years earlier until he encounters Volina, the daughter of Duke Orsino and Duchess Viola. MALVOLIO explores the difference between revenge and redemption.

World Premiere at the Classical Theatre of Harlem as part of their annual Uptown Shakespeare in the Park at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheatre. Co-directed by Ian Belknap and Ty Jones. Choreography by Dell Howlett.

A New York Times Critics’ Pick in 2023, MALVOLIO was the winner of the New York Shakespeare Award for Best Comedy and nominated for ten AUDELCO Awards, including Best Play. Featured in the highbrow/brilliant quadrant of New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix.
“The playwright Betty Shamieh has turned [Twelfth Night] into a hero’s origin story with her clever, winking new play Malvolio. Critical of war, skeptical of marriage and astute about the warping effect of defining oneself through trauma, Malvolio regards its characters from a distinctly female point of view…a comedy with last-minute reveals that are entirely in the spirit of Shakespeare, and utterly charming.”
-The New York Times

“In Betty Shamieh's sly sequel Malvolio, the pompous puritan discovers that forgiveness is sweeter than vengeance, even when served twenty years cold…But Shamieh is not just out for laughs. Toward the end, as the characters confront each other and long-held secrets and longings are revealed, you may even find yourself a little verklempt. Would that we all could have a second act as fulfilling as Malvolio’s.”
-Time Out New York – 4 Stars

“You absolutely do not want to miss! The story is set 20 years after the events of Shakespeare's comedy, and it centers on the title character, a prickly domestic steward who's misled and mistreated in the original play. The play is funny and thoughtful…a real delight!”
-WNYC News