William Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” is notable for the alacrity of its language.

Each of Shakespeare’s plays is a word play. With the romantic-comedy, “Twelfth Night,” there’s a lightness to the language, as if fluttering in on the wings of carrier pigeons.

“Twelfth Night” charms on the Act 1 main stage at DeSales University, Feb. 21 - March 3, and not during the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (PSF) summer season there.

DeSales theater students, many of whom comprise the Young Company in supporting roles during the PSF season, take center stage as leads in “Twelfth Night,” a frolic of assumed identities, mistaken identities and strong identities.

Director Jessica Bedford, Act 1 Artistic Director and Assistant Professor of Theatre at DeSales University, has a deft touch with the material and performance. She allows the students some slack to not feel daunted by the cypher that Shakespeare can be. The students take to their roles convincingly, engagingly and refreshingly.

Commanding the stage most nobly is Iyanu Joshuasville as Malvolio. When it’s time to wear the “yellow stockings cross-gartered,” Joshuasville, outfitted in yellow breeches, long socks, top and cap, hilariously strikes a pose like a golfer from the mid- 1930s, rendering the line, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em.” with great irony.

The oft-quoted “If music be the food of love, play on” becomes a feast in the Act 1 production with Abby Jeanne as Feste strolling the stage like a troubadour, with music adapted by Abby Jeanne and Sound Designer Jonathan Cannon.

Alicia Brogan is a plucky Viola disguised as Cesario. When Viola-Cesario and her twin Sebastian (Ryan Plunkett) appear on stage simultaneously in near-identical outfits by Costume Designer Deborah Burrill, the effect fulfills the play’s eye-popping observation, “One face, one voice, one habit, and two persons.”

The duo of Samir Brown as Sir Toby Belch and Christian Tuffy as Sir Andrew Aguecheek provide comic relief throughout as does Isabella Lucano as Maria, who quips cheek to Aguecheek and anyone within ear shot.

The cast includes Abigail Vernon (Olivia), Shawn Laub (Orsino), Noah Schnabel (Antonio), Jabari C. Williams (Sea Captain), Lillian Inverso (Valentine, Priest) and Caroline Macaluso, Kaleah Andrews-Dewitt and Tyler Borneo (Ensemble).

Scenic and Projection Designer is James V. Raymond. Lighting Designer is Eric T. Haugen. Props Designer is Sandra Lopez.

“Twelfth Night”, a play of, on and about words, invokes the concept of meta centuries before the conceit entered the lexicon: “If this were play’d upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable fiction.”

Improbable it may be. Fun it is. if you’re a fan of Shakespeare, “Twelfth Night” plays on at Act 1.

“Twelfth Night,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, March 1, 2; 2 p.m. Feb. 25, March 3; 9:45 a.m. Feb. 26, DeSales Act 1, Main Stage Theatre, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley. 610-282-3192, https://www.desales.edu