Love’s Labor’s Lost is staged at the striking Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre, adjacent to the charming “Wine and Shakes-beer Garden.” Audience members can gather for picnic meals in the garden and listen to live music. Food and drink are available for purchase in the theatre, and can be eaten at one’s seat.
The Shakespeare Garden on the campus of Colorado University, Boulder. The garden features flowers and plants mentioned in Shakespeare’s plays
The Plot
Ferdinand, the King of Navarre, young and impetuous, invites his three courtiers (Berowne, Longaville and Dumaine) to join him in a self-imposed monastic, academic life for three years. By eschewing alcohol, fasting periodically, and having nothing to do with women, they will be able to concentrate on the business of learning all there is to know regarding the arts, humanities and sciences.
But Ferdinand has forgotten that, the King of France being ill, his daughter and her three ladies (Rosaline, Maria and Katherine) are even then journeying to his court to discuss with him the disputed ownership of the French region of Aquitaine. When he is reminded of this, he refuses to change his mind and orders that the ladies be encamped in a field a mile from his court.
The lords of Navarre come to visit the ladies, and immediately all four fall in love, fortunately each with a different woman. Hilarity ensues as the four lords try secretly to court the French ladies, who, outraged at being forced to stay in a field rather than in the King’s castle, flirt with and outwit them at every turn. Aiding and abetting matters are Boyet, counselor to the Princess of France; a boisterous knight, Don Adriano de Armado, Jaquenetta, a dairy maid, Costard, a clown, Holofernes, a school master, and Nathaniel, a curate.
Stone benches surround the stage. As you enter, seatbacks (rental included with the price of the ticket) ensure a comfortable audience
The Production
Brendon Fox has set the action of Love’s Labour’s Lost a few years prior to World War I, at a time when no thought of war could be conceived and a king could envision his country as a shining beacon for enlightenment:
“Navarre shall be the wonder of the world;
Our court shall be a little Academe,
Still and contemplative in living art.”
The lords, ladies and other gentle folk are clothed in almost Edwardian dress (vests and ties for the men, stylishly long dresses or pantsuits for the women) , which fits the charming setting of a greenery- and life-infused world.
Berowne (Seth Dhonau) praises food, drink and women while King Ferdinand (Marco Robinson), Dumaine (David Derringer) and Longaville (AJ Volton) look forward to Navarre as the wonder of the world. (Photo by Jennifer Koskinen, courtesy CO Shakespeare Festival)
Love’s Labour’s Lost represents a battle of the sexes – one in which the women at all times have the upper hand. Everything the men plan in ‘secret’ is overheard or otherwise miscarried through no fault of their own, giving the Princess of France and her ladies advance warning of their attempts at courtship and enabling them to turn the tables with ease.
Each of the pairs of lovers has a moment or two to shine, but the play really belongs to Marco Robinson and Desiree Mee Jung as Ferdinand, King of Navarre and the Princess of France, and to Seth Dhonau as Berowne and Brynn Tucker as Rosaline. Berowne by far has the “showiest” part in the proceedings and Dhonau carries it off well, but Robinson anchors the play with his calm King of Navarre who finds that academia is no protection against love.
Excellent comic turns are also provided by Scott Coopwood as Boyet, counsellor to the Princess, Michael Bouchard as Costard, the “clown” who wanders into Ferdinand’s court and who is expected to obey his strictures against women, and Rafael Untalan as Don Adriano de Armado, the knight from Spain who loves the dairymaid, Jaquenetta.
Stand-out performances also come from Matthew Schneck as Holofernes, a well-educated but pretentious schoolmaster, and Casey Andree as his friend Nathanial, a curate.
Performances of Love’s Labour’s Lost are on the following evenings:
- Sunday, July 15
- Thursday, July 19
- Sunday, July 22
- Friday, July 27
- Sunday, July 29
- Friday, August 3
- Saturday, August 4
- Wednesday, August 8
- closing Sunday, August 12
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How to Get There
If you’re coming north from Denver or south from Cheyenne, or points in between, take I-25 in the appropriate direction and then take 240 onto County Road 119.
The street address for the University Theatre Building is 1595 Pleasant Street. This is an adequate address to put in your GPS to get you to the location, but you’ll have to park in one of the many nearby pay parking lots. The closest parking lots are Lot 208, Lot 204 and Euclid Avenue Autopark. Keep an eye out for the parking signs which consist of a large P in the middle of a green circle. Credit card pay stations make it easy to pay. Check the sign to see how long you have to pay. After a certain time parking may be free in that lot.
There will be signs pointing to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival venues.
Entry to the Shakespeare Garden, and from there into the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre
The Company
- Anthony Adu – Moth, page to Don Adriano de Armadode Armado
- Marco Robinson – King Ferdinand of Navarre
- Seth Dhonau- Berowne, lord attending the King
- AJ Voliton – Longaville, lord attending the King
- David Derringer – Dumaine, lord attending the King
- Grant Bowman – Anthony Dull, a constable
- Michael Bouchard – Costard, a clown
- Rafael Untalen – Don Adriano de Armado, a Spanish knight
- Anastasia Davidson – Jaquenetta, a dairy maid
- Desiree Mee Jung – Princess of France
- Brynn Tucker – Rosaline, lady attending the princess
- Amber Scales – Katherine, lady attending the princess
- Aziza Gharib – Maria, lady attending the princess
- Scott Cooperwood – Boyet, lord attending the Princess
- Benalah Anderson – Forester/Marcade
- Matthew Schneck – Holofernes (schoolmaster)
- Casey Andree – Nathanial (curate)
Production Crew
- Brendon Fox – director
- Stephen C. Jones – scenic designer
- Meghan Anderson Doyle – costume designer
- Shannon McKinney – lighting designer
- Jason Ducat – soubbd designer
- Erika Randall – choreographer
- Sylvia Gregory – casting director
- Kathryn M. Moncrief – Dramaturg
- Stacy R. Norwood – Stage manager
- Miranda Baxter – assistant stage manager
