Shakespeare in the Park series opens with 'Love's Labour's Lost' in Schaumburg
Shakespeare's comedy "Love's Labour's Lost" will be brought to life in outdoor settings this summer through Shakespeare in the Park performances by Elgin-based Goodly Creatures Theatre.
The first free performance opens at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 22, at the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, 201 Schaumburg Court, Schaumburg. After the show, actors will remain in costume for photo opportunities.
Audience members may bring chairs, blankets, food and drink, but pets are not allowed. Pizza and beverages will be available for purchase.
In case of inclement weather, the performance will be held in the Maggie Atcher Theatre, located inside the Prairie Center for the Arts. See prairiecenter.org for details.
According to Goodly Creatures Theatre, "Love's Labour's Lost" is a classic Shakespearean farce in which studious noblemen swear a vow of chastity in the pursuit of knowledge, only to find such a vow isn't easy when faced with Cupid's trials.
The play begins with four scholars in the French kingdom of Navarre, led by the King Ferdinand, and including his fellow academics Berowne, Longaville, and Dumaine. They make a vow to further their studies by dedicating themselves wholly to academia while swearing off the company of women through a harsh kingdom-wide edict.
No man shall be in the company of a woman, and that rule applies even to the jester, Costard, who swiftly breaks the rules with the beguiling Jaquenetta. Don Armado, a loquacious Spaniard, is tasked with punishing Costard, but his own affections get the better of him when he also falls in love with the same woman.
To add insult to injury, he asks Costard to deliver his love letter to her on his behalf.
"Directing 'Love's Labour's Lost' has been a delightful endeavor," director Katrina Syrris notes in the digital program. "The script is rich with wordplay, the characters are dynamic and funny, and the message is timely for us today.
"Key themes include gender relations and classism, approached by Shakespeare with a keen eye for comedy, a fantastic vehicle for social commentary," Syrris adds.
"At the heart of the show is not a criticism of intellectualism, but rather a criticism of the 'all or nothing' mentality that typically accompanies it. Without human connection, our lives are made bereft of joy and meaning."
The cast and crew include Holly Bud, Nathan Chesterfield, Wyatt DeLair, Steve Delaney, Aaron Delaney, Dorothea Delaney, Tessa Dougherty, Kristina Drendel, Libby Einterz, Cynthia Esparza, Justin Green, Brock Hayden, Kat Kazumura, Fiona Lazzari, Jacquelyn McBride, Evin McQuistion, Joanna Mikosz, Carly Nadeau, Erin O'Brien, Tom Ochocinski, Cameron Rathjen, Nikolai Sororkin, Norman Reed, James Syrris and Carl Zeitler.
Interested but can't make the Schaumburg show? Additional performances include 7 p.m. July 6 at Cantigny Park in Wheaton; 6 p.m. Aug. 5 at Island Park in Geneva; and two Elgin performances, 3 p.m. Aug. 13 at Lords Park and 6 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Wing Park band shell.
For details, visit goodlycreatures.com/.