Billy Chace (lower left) has been awarded by the League of Cincinnati Theatres for his performance as Berowne in Love's Labour's Lost. - Photo: Jeanna Vella
Four noblemen swear an oath to forsake women, then break it immediately when the Princess of France (Kelly Mengelkoch) and three lovely ladies-in-waiting show up. What follows is a lot of courtship tomfoolery, game-playing and an unusual ending: The princess’s father dies and she returns to France to mourn, leaving behind the besotted men. It’s not the typical neat ending of other Shakespearean comedies.
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CSC’s production is costumed in 18th-century finery and set in a sylvan garden, but Clark gives it a modern frame: A contemporary woman (Mengelkoch) arrives at an ER with her dying father. He gives her a book before he’s wheeled off; as she reads, the play commences. At the final curtain, we return to the ER for a farewell, suitable to the play’s solemn conclusion.
There’s much wit along the way if you can
keep up, as the bright women have their way with the foolish courtiers.
Cynical Berowne (Billy Chace) does his best, but even he’s tripped up
frequently. The loquacious Don Armado (Jim Hopkins), a Spanish wannabe
courtier, delivers amazingly contorted speeches that were surely as hard
to follow in 1594 as they are today. Hopkins’ bluster and ridiculous
posturing, when surrounded by other foolish characters played by Jeremy
Dubin, Charlie Clark and Brent Vimtrup, provide much amusement.
LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST, presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, continues through Dec. 31. Buy tickets, check out performance times and get venue details here.
