Oddfellows Playhouse Summer Shakespeare Academy Presents LOVE'S LABOURS LOST 7/23-25

Oddfellows Playhouse Summer Shakespeare Academy presents mainstage performances of Love's Labours Lost, William Shakespeare's sophisticated comedy, on July 23-25. These productions are the culmination of an intensive 4-week Shakespeare-in-Performance program for high school students and feature 17 talented teenagers from throughout central Connecticut.

Love's Labours Lost, directed by Jeffery Allen, is one of the Bard's early comedies. The subject is love, and the text incorporates lots of witty wordplay, puns, and literary allusions. The play opens with the King of Navarre and three of his lords taking an oath to devote themselves for three years to the pursuit of knowledge, promising to give up The company of women or all other worldly pleasures. No sooner is this agreed on than the Princess of France and 3 of her ladies arrive on a diplomatic mission, and the gentlemen's scholarly resolve begins to unravel as they fall in love.

There are many humorous subplots, fueled by the King's clown and a pompous Spanish knight. Unlike Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, this play does not end in marriage. In a bittersweet twist, the Princess learns that her father has died and she must return home to assume the throne. Despite the marriage proposals of the King and his nobles, the Princess and her ladies return to France, claiming that the gentlemen must prove their love by remaining faithful and engaging in worthy pursuits for a year.

Oddfellows' Summer Shakespeare Academy, led by Jeffery Allen, combines theater training and rehearsals for performance for students ages 14-18. Meeting daily from June 29-July 24, the challenging and fun program offers instruction in acting and movement, stage combat, text analysis, voice, diction, improvisation, and understanding Shakespeare's historical and cultural background. The last three weeks of the program also include individual coaching and intensive rehearsals.

Oddfellows Summer Shakespeare Academy is supported by grants from the CT State Department of Education, CT Commission on Culture & Tourism, and the Middletown Rotary Club.

All performances will be at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street, Middletown on July 23, 24 and 25 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors. Group rates available. For reservations or more information, call Oddfellows Playhouse at (860) 347-6143.

Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington St., Middletown, CT 06457 (860) 347-6143