Karin Coonrod, a staple of New York City's downtown theatre scene, will direct Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at Chicago's Court Theatre. Previews will begin April 7. Opening is April 22 for a run through June 15. The show runs in rotating repertory with Trevor Griffith's Piano, which began its run on March 30.

In this mounting of Shakespeare's comic tale of star-crossed love, the cross-dressing Viola of Kate Fry loves Lance Baker's Duke Orsino, who is dumbstruck by Carey Peters' Countess Olivia, who think she loves Cesario (really Viola in disguise), but ends up marrying Viola's twin brother, Sebastian, played by Guy Adkins. This is all to the chagrin of John Reeger's officious Malvolio, who think Olivia loves him.

Coonrod is the artistic director of Off-Off-Broadway's experimental Arden Party troupe. She has directed Henry VI at the Public Theater and King John at Theatre for a New Audience.

Tickets are $24-$38. The Court Theatre is located at 5535 S. Ellis Avenue in Chicago. For more information, call (773) 753-4472.

—By Robert Simonson