Montesano High School students are offering up a contemporary-musical version of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” this weekend.

The romantic comedy involves a pair of twins separated after a shipwreck who must make a living on the island of Illyria. The female protagonist is forced to dress as a man in order to find employment, and according to program adviser Debbie Hornback, typical Shakespearean hilarity ensues.

“True to Shakespeare, it’s got plot twists and turns and all kinds of interesting things,” she said.

Drama Club students have been preparing for the production for two months, practicing an average of four days a week, Hornback said. Preparation has included learning songs and working on costuming and choreography.

“It’s a process, and it’s still going, up to the last day,” she said.

Hornback says people should not be dissuaded from attending because of preconceived notions about the difficulty of understanding Shakespeare.

“It’s a great introduction to Shakespeare,” she said. “The language, some of it’s very true to Shakespeare, but it’s easily enough understood. You get a better feel of what he’s actually saying.”

The production opened Friday and continues through the weekend, with curtains at 7 tonight and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Montesano High School commons. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens.

“The talent of the kids in this community is fantastic, and this is wholesome family fun that you don’t get on TV anymore,” Hornback said. “There’s nothing like live (performances).”