Last weekend to watch the lesser-known Shakespearean play at Helen Borgers Theater in Bixby Knolls.
The Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s rendition of The Bard’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” consistently delivers laughs throughout its nearly three-hour run time, as it tells a light-hearted story about the futility of avoiding love.
Although the play was published in 1598, it doesn’t feel too far from a modern-day romcom, and the plot is easy to follow even if audience members’ comprehension of Shakespearean English has grown rusty since their last high school literature class.
Engaging Characters and Intriguing Plot Development
“Love’s Labour’s Lost” centers on the King of Navarre and a few of his lords, who vow to live under ascetic conditions for the next three years in order to sharpen and elevate their minds. When a French princess and her ladies come to court, they find one of their vows — to stay away from women — increasingly difficult to follow.
The play opens with a discussion replete with wordplay, as nobleman Berowne (Andrew Tyrell-Smith) argues with the King of Navarre (Sol Mason) and fellow lord Dumaine (Shane Weikel), while trying to wriggle his way out of signing his vows.
After being sufficiently mocked by the King of Navarre and Dumain, the character Berowne relents and signs a contract agreeing to not see women for three years. But the tables soon turn as Berowne goes on to delightedly watch the other two (and himself) fall in love and make hypocrites out of themselves.
Mason, Tyrell-Smith and Weikel make a solid trio throughout the play, and their playful banter seems so natural that no first-time viewers would be able to tell that anyone is missing. In fact, this version by the Long Beach Shakespeare Company removed two characters from the original play, with the trio of lords and ladies originally intended to be quartets, but I think most will agree that they weren’t missed.
From the opening scene, Mason and Tyrell-Smith establish themselves as foils to each other, as Mason’s reserved and restrained performance relies mainly, but effectively, on facial expressions to communicate his feelings to the audience. He serves as a stark counterpoint to Tyrell-Smith’s wild and flamboyant hand gestures and movements.
Stand Out Performances and Subplot
All the female love interests shined, especially as a trio, with a witty but united dynamic between them, unlike their male counterparts who seemed to be constantly ribbing each other.
That being said, Amanda Nahin stole the show.
With her full smile, and slightly sanpaku eyes that give off a delicate balance of dreaminess and mania, she was reminiscent of Mia Goth in “Pearl,” if she’d had a supportive girl squad propping up her mental health — plotting ways to mess with the lords, instead of murder. Anytime she took center stage it was impossible to look away; she was truly mesmerizing to watch.
The amusing subplot that ran through the story involved a love triangle between the maiden Jaquenetta (Sheila Correa), the fool Costard (Erin Manker) and Don Armado (Misha Suvorov). Unfortunately Jaquenetta wasn’t given many lines in the play, but her two love interests gave some of the most solid and entertaining performances of the entire cast. Even as a minor character, with his animated delivery style, Suvorov became the focal point of any scene he was in.
Manker revealed herself in this play as a master of physical comedy, getting the loudest laughs out of the audience with slap fights and other antics. The play would not have reached nearly the same caliber of hilarity without her Costard.
Seamless Production and Immersive Audience Experience
The performances made the most out of the theater’s limited space, and stage hands changed the scenes so seamlessly that at times I literally didn’t even notice, so distracted by an actor’s performance in the foreground that I didn’t clock the background shifting until after they were done speaking.
Those who fear audience participation should avoid sitting on the right-hand side of the first row, lest they get roped into one of the scenes mid-way through the performance.
The Long Beach Shakespeare Company will be holding its final performances of “Love’s Labour’s Lost” at the Helen Borgers Theatre (4250 Atlantic Ave.) on Friday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. General admission costs $25, and can be purchased at www.lbshakespeare.org.