As I enter the Duke Theater, chimes are played to signal the theater is open. As I sit down, I notice a peculiar looking man standing on the stage. While waiting for I, Malvolio to begin, I notice the man on the stage does not speak or acknowledge the audience. He simply stands there making odd expressions, none of them happy. He is also dressed strangely with holes and stains on his clothes and what looks to be a turkey goblet. After a while, he begins saying “I am not mad.” Once it is time to begin, Tim Crouch, the writer and performer, begins to tell his story.

Crouch’s 60 minute I, Malvolio is an one-man show based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. In this amusing piece Mr. Crouch is initially making fun of the audience for making fun of him. TranThe audience in Friday night’s performance of I, Malvolio played a very big part of the show. Mr. Crouch had children from the audience constantly doing things such as sitting up straight or even kicking one’s behind! While sitting in the audience you almost felt that he was always watching you and would pick you to come to the stage to help him in some sort of act.

In I, Malvolio Mr. Crouch is trying to get the love of his life back. He starts of as a raggedy looking man, with a frown on his face and realizes this is not what his love wants. At one point he gets so upset that he plans to kill himself. In his goal to get his woman back he changes himself inside and out to become a very presentable man. By the end of the show he is completely transformed, although not right for his love. Unfortunately Crouch is not fulfilled.
I, Malvolio, presented by New Victory Theater, running January 9-20, 2013, is a hilarious play perfect for those of all ages young and old.