Theater Review: Boomerang Theatre Company's Love's Labour's Lost

There’s a lot to love about the summer arts scene, especially the abundance of Shakespeare performances that seem to crop up in theaters and festivals throughout the country. I thought I would round out my summer Shakespeare experience with Boomerang Theatre Company’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost at New York’s Bryant Park and looked forward to what promised to be a delightful evening in the city. I imagined myself relaxing on the lawn, totally engrossed in compelling theater performed under sunset skies, and having a thoroughly wonderful time. Alas, despite wonderful performances by the actors and innovative direction by Cailin Heffernan, I was disappointed. 

Love’s Labour’s Lost is not your usual Shakespeare comedy. It tells the story of King Ferdinand of Navarre and three men in his court who vow to go without the company of women to concentrate on their studies. Of course, each immediately falls in love with a lady from the court of a visiting princess. The beauty of this play lies within the witty play of words within Shakespeare’s text, and while it has comedic elements and characters, there is no true happy ending. The would-be lovers separate, with a hopeful ‘wait and see if this works out’ cliffhanger.

Boomerang Theatre Company's LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST at Bryant Park

Boomerang Theatre Company’s production starts off slowly, with song and performance sketches in the style of a British Music Hall. The original music and lyrics by musical director Henry Aronson are entertaining enough, although they have little to do with the story of the lovers in the play. Because of the music hall framework, the Shakespearean portion of the evening feels like a play within a play, with an additional layer being added when the characters perform their own play within the play by presenting their version of the Nine Worthies. Maybe I’ve seen too much Shakespeare this summer, because this devise is beginning to feel a little tired.

The play does not start to take off until each man realizes that he is in love and that each of his compatriots is also infected with this deadly condition. But while the men are earnest in their pursuits, the ladies seem merely to mock their attentions, turning the entire love story into an Elizabethan version of foolish games. 

This production stars Timothy Babcock, Amanda Berry, Deborah Carlson, Eva Gil, Timothy W. Hull, Jason Loughlin, Hannah Jane McMurray, Jake Minevich, Linda S. Nelson, Sarah Norris, Jared Reinmuth, Dan Renkin, Natalie Roy, Michael Russinik, Christian Ryan and Sara Thigpen. Individually, each does well with their characterizations, although I found the men much more memorable than the ladies.

Boomerang Theatre Company's LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST at Bryant Park

Standouts in the crowd are Timothy Hull as King Ferdinand of Navarre, the originator of this Shakespearean version of the he-man woman-haters club and Jason Loughlin, who seems to channel a young Kenneth Branagh as Biron, the last to sign the oath and the first to fall. Jared Reinmuth as the bombastic Spaniard, Don Adriano de Armado and Michael Russinik, as Costard, the sage clown of the play, also give outstanding performances, not only because of the roles they play, but because they perform those roles with exaggerated accents.

Boomerang Theatre Company’s production, while enjoyable, still did not live up to my expectations for a wonderful evening of Shakespeare. The flaws are not in the production itself but in the venue. 

Far from being an “oasis” in the heart of the city as Director Cailin Hefferman described in the press release, Bryant Park is an unfortunate choice for this production. The seating (little green folding chairs) for this 2-hours and 15 minutes show with no intermission is uncomfortable. There is no real set to speak of, and aside from the chairs set up in front of the small stage, little is done to separate the stage area from the rest of the goings on at Bryant Park.

Shakespeare requires a certain amount of concentration on the part of today’s audiences for a full understanding of the poetic text, especially for a play like this one, where the laughs all spring from witty wordplay. New York’s gaping tourists, foot and road traffic, honking horns, sirens, and other sights and sounds of midtown detract from and compete with the play. The city itself seems to overwhelm the production, which is unfortunate for the talented group of actors who work so hard to bring their characters to life.

Even though I love New York, I was left with a sense that I might actually have enjoyed the show more had I seen it someplace else. I thought about the grounds of Stratford’s own Shakespeare Festival Theatre, or anywhere indoor, or any secluded spot. It almost did not matter how witty the script, talented a cast, or ingenious the direction, New York City is what steals the show. 

Free performances of Love's Labour's Lost run through August 30th at Bryant Park. Should you go into the city to see this show, I hope you are lucky enough to go on a 'quiet' New York evening. For more information visit Boomerang Theatre Company

Connecticut Free Shakespeare Brings Back the Sixties with As You Like It

There's a sixties style happening going on in Southern Connecticut and it should not be missed. Connecticut Free Shakespeare has brought a delightful version of As You Like It to the outdoor stage. As envisioned by director, Ellen Lieberman, this production of Shakespeare's romantic comedy is set in 1969 and is complete with music, protests, idealized pastoral hippie life, and of course, all aspects of love. Shakespeare purists might object to some of the liberties taken in song and style, but this production is in perfect accord with Connecticut Free Shakespeare's mission of producing understandable and entertaining performances of Shakespeare's plays that are accessible to a broad range of audience members, including those not familiar with Shakespeare's work, without jeopardizing artistic integrity.  

It is always a pleasure to see young children in the audience engrossed in the play that has been put before them, even more so when it is laying the groundwork for a lifelong love of the Bard's work. By including 60's style songs that the audience can join in singing, as well as characterizations that current audiences can relate to, and performing in a relaxed outdoor setting, the stage is perfectly set for a family friendly, drug free 'Be-in' of the theatrical kind.  

As You Like It has some familiar Shakespearean devices: exiled rulers, women disguised as men, misdirected and unrequited love, love at first sight, a forest adventure leading to a happy ending for all, as well as the famous "All the world's a stage" soliloquy. This production is made more enjoyable by the caliber of the production team and the skilled, talented actors that take the stage.  

Hannah Dubner and Caitlin Chuckta are excellent as Rosalind and Celia. Together, they are totally believable as intimate best friends and cousins, with a love between them that even an ambitious uncle cannot break. I especially love their seemingly adolescent 'squeeing' when Rosalind first meets Orlando at the wrestling match, as only two giddy teenage girls can. Celia never seems to break out of the schoolgirl mode, contrasted to Rosalind, who when in the guise of the youth Ganymede, not only affects a male stance and attributes, but also dispenses a knowledge of love and courtship that seems beyond her years.

Mark Friedlander is also excellent as Orlando, displaying all the frustration of a young man oppressed by his older brother's treatment and bemused by his own inability to speak when he first encounters the love of his life. Ah youth! When he escapes from his brother to the Arden Forest, he meets up with the exiled Duke, and his beloved Rosalind who is disguised as Ganymede, with whom Orlando strikes up a friendship.  In the course of one of Ganymede’s tutorials on the art of love, Orlando kisses him, and the look of confusion on Orlando’s face at that point is priceless. 

Musical director Eric Brian Nyquist plays the dual roles of Orlando's older brother Oliver and Amiens, part of the exiled court of Duke Senior in the Forest of Arden. Amiens serves as the court troubadour, setting the tone of the exiles' hippie lifestyle and providing the soundtrack that they, and the audience, can groove to. Mr. Nyquist's entertaining and unique characterization of Amiens is reminiscent of George Carlin's Hippy Dippy Weatherman. Anthony Vaughn Merchant plays both Duke Frederick and the man he deposed, Duke Senior. Each seems the antithesis of the other; where Duke Frederick is uptight, greedy and ambitious, Duke Senior seems laid back and content for the time being in the forest, patiently awaiting that time when he can return to court.  

Ian Eaton plays both Charles, the wrestler, and Jaques, another of Duke Senior's exiles. While Charles is played for laughs, Jaques is the more serious and melancholy of the roles. In this production Jaques does not seem as much of a downer as portrayed in other productions. Although dressed more somberly in comparison to the colorful hippie costumes of the rest of the Arden exiles, Jaques is less of an Eeyore in the forest, as he is a realist in search of his place in the world. Mr. Eaton plays Jaques with an island accent, making him more of a knowing old uncle in the midst of the chaos of the counterculture. However, because of the character's inherent maturity and sobering presence, Mr. Eaton's delivery of the "All the world's a stage" soliloquy when surrounded by the colorful exuberance of youth is all the more poignant and meaningful.  

Part of the brilliance of this production is the connection to the sights and sounds of 1969. In keeping with that theme, we have the Establishment as seen in the characters of the court: Oliver, and Duke Frederick, and the counterculture as characterized by the flower children and hippie lifestyle of the Arden exiles. Another sixties phenomenon is also present in this production in the persons of the simple country folk of the Forest of Arden. With corny accents and costumes reminiscent of the popular television show, “Hee Haw,” the 1969 connection is complete. Standouts among the country cast are Alton Alburo as the lovestruck Silvius and Regina Gibson as Phoebe, the woman who cruelly disdains him. Phoebe’s attempts to seduce Ganymede are particularly unsophisticated and awkward; she reminded me of a character from Li’l Abner – yet another throwback to the sixties.

Joining in the love fest in the woods, and making a further connection between country and court life are Jacob Heimer as Touchstone and Liliane Klein as Audrey. They form another comedic, yet unlikely couple. Unmatched in intellect, their relationship is grounded in physical attraction and lust, as opposed to the other couples striving for loftier ideals. Even the hated Oliver finds love in the forest when he meets Celia and they are both “struck in a moment of breathless delight.” The woods also magically solve the problem with the dukes. Frederick meets a clergyman in the forest, finds God, and restores Duke Senior’s title and lands to him. It was a convenient ending for Shakespeare, but a happy ending for all the characters in this play.

Scenic design by Elizabeth Popiel and lighting by Sebastian Paczynski enhance the outdoor experience of this show. Props and graphic design by Alejandro Lopez also add to the look and feel of the sixties. Ellen Lieberman's adaptation even allows for a  surprising and funny bit with a telephone that has to be seen to believed.

The star of the production team is costume designer Jessica Camarero. Not only are there surprising costume pieces like the feather boa worn by Charles the wrestler, and a clergyman who looks like a refugee from The Book of Mormon, the costumes of the court are conservative reflections of the clothes worn in 1969. Ms. Camarero's brilliant 60’s hippie costumes are amazing and inspired. These hippies are not gritty street people but colorful flower children spreading the ideas of peace and love. The costumes are perfect. It is like looking back at an era through the forgiving lens of nostalgia. 

The run of As You Like It has ended at the American Shakespeare Festival Theater in Stratford, but it will move to McLevy Green in Downtown Bridgeport from August 6^th – 10^th at 8:00 pm. Admission is free but donations are accepted. Don’t miss it! This brilliant production turns this Shakespeare play into a family experience that cannot be beat.