Love's Labour's Lost

[shiben]

Today I saw the final performance of Love's Labors Lost at the Powers Center, UofMichigan. The show was great, and one of the best Shakespeare jobs I have ever seen. Will have a formal review up as soon as I can recharge my laptop. If anyone on here was involved in the show, nice job.

[Grog12]

I have a special attachment to this show as it was the first show my wife and I both worked on together as designers.

[shiben]

This show was put on by a touring Glob Theater company. In the house and lobby, pre-show, there was a company of musicians playing Elizabethan music. When everyone moved into the house, the musicians continued to wander around, along with some of the actors. They would talk with the audience, and generally be interesting. The stage was a replica of the Globe theater in London, and the lighting was mimicking daylight. One thing that annoyed me about this lighting plan is that there were box boom positions with 19* source 4s shooting into the audience all the time, to keep the audience lit as well. However, it was quick to disappear when the actors came in and started cracking jokes (WOHooo! Now I can go to classy events and laugh at sex jokes!). I thought that it started off rather slow, with very little action, but i guess thats how the play works. Once the French Princess arrived with her people, the play moved much better.
The entire thing was staged in a "Shakespearian" style, with the actor who is the focus at the moment being more DS Center or Mid-stage center. It was quite fun to watch, and I thought it was a riot of fun. I wish we staged things like that at my college.