Antonio, Or What I Would

“Antonio, or What I Would” takes a firmly gay stance on Shakespeare’s favorite pirate. It’s the closing performance of a somewhat successful outdoor production of “Twelfth Night,” and the actor playing Antonio finds himself asking, “What happened here?” as the queerness of both his character and his own identity is relegated to stage left.

This wild romp through history, fantasy, swashbuckling, and booty is a love letter to Shakespeare’s most famous gay pirate—or maybe more of a sext.

Written by Brenna Geffers and Shayne David Cameris, performed by Shayne David Cameris with music by Jake Blouch and music performed by Connor Armbruster, “Antonio, or What I Would” was developed at the Play On Labs with Troy Foundry Theatre in 2024.