McMeekin Review:
‘Love’s Labours Lost’
Celebrates Humanity

Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier concludes its 2001 summer series with their traditional salute to the works of William Shakespeare, bringing to City Hall a production of his comedy, "Love’s Labours Lost." Set in the 1920’s by director Lisa Tromovitch and composer Kathleen Keenan, this production seeks to capitalize on the energy, optimism, burlesque and vaudeville which characterized that decade.

The story begins with four men swearing their allegiance to three years of abstinence and Spartan living while in pursuit of knowledge. Sworn declarations are signed just prior to the arrival of (conveniently) four young and attractive women. You can fairly easily figure out the direction the plot will take from there. It leads one male character to proclaim in disgust, "By heaven, I do love, and it hath taught me to rhyme, and be melancholy!"

Sure enough, destruction lies ahead for the four hopefuls, who are served up to the witting women as "four woodcocks in a dish," but not without much madcap merriment in the process. The audience enjoys full opportunity to relish in Shakespeare’s sexual innuendo, his double entendre, and some hysterical misuse of the Queen’s English. In addition to the romantic couples, a full troupe of comedic actors romp across the stage, adding to the silliness of the show.

A fair number of the company’s actors listed significant Shakespearean experience in their biographies, and the talents of Daniel Sherman, Eliza Ladd, and Joe Dominguez are truly noteworthy. Sherman, who plays the most cynical and therefore perhaps the most lovestruck of the suitors admirably displayed why he is currently a Shakespeare text teacher trainee at Shakespeare and Company in Massachusetts. Eliza, who plays the princess, is suitably noble, and admirably relaxed in her handling of difficult text, and Dominguez plays his role as lord and advisor to the princess with skill and insight.

The show’s set is simple and somewhat cartoony, which for me confused the 1920’s aesthetic, and at times the variety of tricks, music, and sound effects proved disconcerting. But as the show drew to a close, Rosaline’s statement of conditions for proof of Berowne’s love struck a significant chord. She sentences him to spend a year and a day using his wit to entertain those in hospitals. He protests, saying "Mirth cannot move a soul in agony," and suddenly I was moved back to the event of Sept. 11, and the words took on ominous weight.

Lost Nation began rehearsal for this show on Sept. 11, and wrestled with whether to proceed. Stage manager Ian Miller reminded the company of Winston Churchill’s words to one of his advisors, uttered in the darkest part of World War II, when he was advised to shut down all the theaters in London in the interest of the war effort. He declared, "Good God, man, what the hell are we fighting for?"

Thank you, Lost Nation, for keeping alive our chance to laugh, to escape for a moment, and to celebrate humanity in all its comical weakness.

"Love’s Labors Lost" runs through Oct. 14, with shows beginning at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and a special Sunday curtain at 6:30 p.m.

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