[NEohioPAL]Berko: LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST (GLTF)

[Roy Berko]

Slight ‘LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST’ at GLTF

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	


‘LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST,’ which is now appearing in
repertory at the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, is one
of Shakespeare’s lesser plays.    In fact, many
scholars believe that it should not even be listed in
the Bard’s portfolio.

Written in the mid-1590’s during the London plagues,
when theatres were closed for fear of spreading
diseases to those who assembled in large groups, it is
conjectured that Shakespeare was commissioned to 
write ‘LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST’ for a small social
gathering.   One of Shakespeare’s earliest works, the
script has been described as “A laughing play about
wry couples, rhymed couplets, and the impossibility of
securing true love in two hours.

The script is written in regular meter and rhyme and
is filled with lots of puns which often go right over
the heads of modern day viewers due to their lack of
present day references.

The story concerns the King of Navarre, who, along
with his trio of lords, has sworn that for three years
they’ll forswear sleep, food, and the company of women
in favor of pious study.  So what are sworn men to do
when a beautiful Princess and three attractive
attending ladies arrive on diplomatic business?   Ah,
that’s the rub!

The Great Lakes Theatre Festival’s production is
creative and a pleasant, though not a compelling
experience.  Director Drew Barr has inserted lots of
schticks and gimmicks to spice up the goings-on.  The
issue is not Barr or the performers, it’s that the
play itself is just not compelling.

Tom Ford as the King and David Anthony Smith, Lynn
Robert Berg and Matt Lillo as the lords attending the
King, are all fine.  Andrew May is his usual
hysterical self as Don Adriano De Armado, a
fantastical Spaniard, who not only looks but acts like
Salvador Dali.  Jeffrey C. Hawkins properly overdoes
the role of Costard, a clown.  Laura Perrotta, is fine
as the Princess of France.  Julie Evan Smith, Julie
McKay and Laura Welsh are charming as the ladies in
attendance to the Princess.  

The sets, the costumes, the lighting and the sound are
all well done. 

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:   GLTF does all it can with ‘LOVE’S
LABOR’S LOST.’ Unfortunately, it’s not enough to make
a mediocre script into a great production.  For those
who are interested in seeing a Shakespearean play that
is not often performed, the GLTF production is a good
choice because this is about as good as it will get.

‘A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM’ and
‘LOVE’S LABOR’S LOST’ are running in repertory through
October 21.  For tickets to any GLTF production call
216-241-6000 or 800-766-6048.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.

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