In true Shakespearean fashion, confusion, chaos and comedy were at full throttle this weekend at the School of Dramatic Arts’ production of “Twelfth Night.” The cast gave a masterclass in humor and character development, with a subplot and secondary characters that only added intrigue to the story rather than detracting from it.

“Twelfth Night” follows the story of Viola (Alexandra Everbach), shipwrecked in Illyria, Croatia. Believing that her brother died during the accident, Viola disguises herself as a man named Cesario and works for the Duke Orsino (Kamran Amir) to survive. However, she quickly falls in love with Orsino, landing herself in a love triangle, as Orsino is determined to court the Countess Olivia (Brooklyn Norrington) with Cesario’s assistance. However, in this process, Olivia starts to fall in love with Viola as Cesario instead.

Viola’s grief and determination shine through Everbach, all the way down to the way the corners of her mouth turn down in moments of despair and confusion, and how her forehead furrows when faced with the reality of the loss of her brother. In her gripping asides, Everbach reveals who Viola truly is — apart from having to play the part of Cesario — a quick-witted and wickedly intelligent leading woman.

Strong women are a constant throughout the play; Norrington plays an eloquent and regal Olivia, who commands her home, holding the fort down while other members of the household foolishly mess around.

For example, Maria (Joileeah Worley), Olivia’s lady-in-waiting, is stubborn and unafraid to trick Malvolio (Maurice-Aimé Green), Olivia’s steward. Green plays a classic butler as Malvolio: self-obsessed, dapper and grumpy towards all other household members — traits that make him all the more gullible. His susceptibility to the pranks makes the play hilarious. The amusing subplot drives the story, as the pranks lead the love triangle and main plot to its final resolution.

Maria plots together with a gang of household co-conspirators, a group of jesters in their own right. One of these clowns is Sir Toby (Shawn Anthony), who is both Maria’s lover and Olivia’s uncle. The pairing of Sir Toby’s teasing and Maria’s stubbornness, combined with Worley and Anthony’s extraordinary on-stage chemistry, brings romantic tension to a subplot that is otherwise comedic.

Sir Toby’s equally hilarious partner-in-crime is Sir Andrew (Faith Hernandez), who, unlike the former, carries himself in a more buffoonish manner. Both the audience and his own friends adore his tomfoolery and stupidity. Hernandez perfectly executes this role with an aloof delivery and modern intonation, giving “Twelfth Night” a 2020s-comedy feel.

Maria, Sir Toby, Sir Anthony, Fabian (Isabelle Messner) and Feste (Paige Okey) team up to clown Malvolio as revenge for incessantly complaining about their antics. Messner portrays a Fabian who brings intelligence and logic to the squad of instigators, while Okey’s enchanting vocals are put to great use in her role as the resident jester.

While the SDA’s production of “Twelfth Night” featured standout performances, the stage design was very minimalist. The set consists of two gray stone platforms with Greek columns, representing Olivia and Orsino’s homes. With the cast’s movements across the stage, the audience was distracted from the purpose of these two platforms.

Because the plot focuses more on the events at Olivia’s household, the right side of the stage was less occupied, accentuating how Orsino’s part in the play’s plot is underdeveloped.

Still, the staging works at key moments, particularly when Olivia and Orsino are both finally on stage together, arguing from their respective platforms and visually reinforcing their emotional distance.

Although Orsino has less stage time than other characters, Amirdoes an amazing job at portraying the character as a leader, who carries the duality of being self-righteous, but who also has a generous heart.

Sebastian (Garrett J. Henry) and Antonio (Diego Whitehill) are two characters who enter the plot later in the play, but they are portrayed just as expertly by Henry and Whitehill. Henry conveys the helplessness and confusion of someone who has fallen into the chaos of the story, and Whitehill gives Antonio all the softness and care of a truly loyal friend, though the audience doesn’t get to see too much of their friendship in action.

Other than the set, other technical aspects of the play, such as costuming, are extremely well thought out. The transition of Countess Olivia’s clothes from black to blue, and eventually to white, is a nice detail that represents her slowly letting go of grief and opening up to love, and it adds visually to her character development.

With a standout performance by leading actress Everbach and an entertaining subplot that adds both enticing characters and complexity, the School of Dramatic Arts’ production of “Twelfth Night” is a lively performance that brings Shakespeare’s many eccentric characters to life in the 21st century.