By Steevens Salomon Remelus
BronxShakes’ recent Shakespeare performance ‘’Love’s Labour’s Lost’’ transports the audience into the Roaring Twenties, an era where we moved to the rhythm of jazz and flaunted our newly obtained wealth. This performance has a more lighthearted tone than "Romeo and Juliet," offering a comedy instead of a tragedy.
The production’s standout elements are the costume design by Anthony Paul-Cavaretta, singing by Mariah Eskoh, and the musical score and direction by Alyssa Van Gorder, co-directed by Anthony Paul-Cavaretta. Dresses manipulate the light to their favor, drawing attention with the complex bedazzled patterns, while the casual suits reek of sophistication, with a hint of fun.
The interplay between the two main groups – the King of Navarre and his lords, and the Princess of France and her ladies – creates a delightful contrast. The men struggle to renounce their love, alternating between shame and cooperation, while the women are giddy about their efforts and tease them a bit. The natural environment of the Amphitheater enhanced the general intimacy of the event by engaging the crowd with the characters. Audience members were brought into the schemes, by reading notes or aiding in quests. According to Dante Albertie, the decision to encourage participatory theater was instinctually made by Alyssa Gorder to boost engagement and anticipation, taking away from the chasm of just sitting and watching and drawing in the whole audience (not just the first two rows).
There was such a childish realism to the performance. The characters mirror the first experiences of love – or rather a crush. It is something we are disgusted by and might try to rebuke. Love makes us do stupid things: act a fool, mock our lovers, try to do some grand gestures. But when love is true, there is no denying how we feel and how far we'd go—or rather, how far it'd take us.
As comedic as the play is, it leaves us with many questions about our lives. Are you interested in them and do you intend on putting your best foot forward? When a loved one passes away it leads us to many questions: Will we be able to continue to move forward so easily? Would that missing piece of us ever be filled again? Would we be able to stick by someone’s side, even if we feel alone?
For anyone considering future shows at Lehman, I'd highly recommend attending the ones closer to the night for the best immersion. Love's Labour's Lost is a beautiful comedy that highlights what love should be about, something that somewhat gets lost today. This is what makes love so important: we never feel lonely, and we forever feel as if someone cares about us.
