Shakespeare wrote about love in all its guises, from the young love of Romeo and Juliet to the mature love of Antony and Cleopatra. In “Twelfth Night” he examined the very nature of love, how it is desired, needed and chased by everyone.

As the brilliant, whimsical “Twelfth Night” at the Folger Theatre illustrates, Shakespeare also showed how this need for love makes people lose all reason. Sensitively directed by Robert Richmond, Folger’s “Twelfth Night” brings out the play’s intense comedy, while retaining a touch of sympathy for the character whose love is unrequited.