SOURCE: "Twelfth Night: By the Circle Repertory," in The New York Times, December 17, 1980, p. C26.

David Mamet's lighthearted production of Twelfth Night at the Circle Repertory Company features two outstanding Shakespearean performances—by Lindsay Crouse in the pivotal role of Viola and by Colin Stinton in the usually subordinate role of Feste the clown.

As played by Mr. Stinton, the clown is a deadpan wit who nimbly takes the measure of everyone else on stage. He orchestrates their cheerful deceptions and always has a palm extended to solicit a donation. He is such an articulate and engaging performer, acting and singing ("O Mistress Mine") that one wishes his character could have had an even fairer share of Shakespeare's choicest speeches, beginning with Orsino's opening entreaty, "If music be the food of love, play on."

In this production, the first of the Circle's seasonal two-part repertory (Gerhart Hauptmann's The...