All hands on deck, sea dogs and landlubbers alike!

Murfreesboro Little Theatre sets sail its eighth annual production of Backyard Bard with the comically impossible Twelfth Night, a story of mistaken identity, unrequited love and unmitigated hilarity.

Set on the high seas, the weather starts getting rough, and twins Viola and Sebastian are thrown overboard in waters teeming with black-hearted pirates and overzealous lovers. To survive, they will need to keep their own lusty passions and wits about them. In love’s waters, it’s sink, swim or get eaten alive.

In its eighth season, MLT’s Backyard Bard is dedicated to keeping the works of Shakespeare alive in our community, one production at a time. Produced annually each May, the event is presented free to the public and performed on the log cabin lawn. Bring your favorite lounge chair, picnic basket or purchase refreshments in plenty; and you can do your part to keep Shakespeare alive in our community, one donation at a time.

Twelfth Night at Murfreesboro Little Theatre.
Photos by Bashing Bagpipes Photography

Directed by Shane Lowery, the cast features Jessica Theiss, Ciara Richards, Christopher Wagner, Phil Mote, Kevin Compton, Jamie Leigh Stevens, Jacob Truax, Ryan Leyhue, Jeremiah Sanchez, Jennifer Grissom-Reeves, Dalton Reeves, Lee Allen, Ben Hornsby, Alec Lanter, Selah Lowery, Emma Hawkins, Joseph Stanley, Alyssa Brangenberg, Emily Lanter, Stephen Burnette and Patti-Long Lee.

Twelfth Night hits the high seas May 11 and runs three weekends beginning at 7 p.m. (and if it rains, the ship stays docked!).

Founded in 1962, Murfreesboro Little Theatre is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that performs at the historic log cabin located at 702 Ewing Blvd. For more information, visit mltarts.com.