Love's Labor's Lost at Center Theatre

Ever fallen in love when you really didn’t want to? Intent on intellectual study for himself and his companions, King Navarre proclaims three years of all work and no play – including no romance. On cue, a princess and her ladies arrive at court on a diplomatic mission, and the men can’t help falling head over heels. Will they decide to break their oaths to pursue love? (Spoiler: Yes.) And if they do, just how ridiculous can things get?

Filled with bawdy wit, Love’s Labor’s Lost playfully provokes thought on love, gender, and the games people play.

Directed by Janet Hayatshahi.

WHAT IS DRUM AND COLOURS? Love’s Labor’s Lost is a continuation of the Drum and Colours project first launched in winter 2022 with presentations of Hamlet and As You Like It in repertory. Furthering the work of previous projects like the Shakespeare Equity Engagement program (SEE) and the Holding Space project, Drum and Colours aims to meet the community’s needs with an all-BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) company with 360-degree representation, including actors, directors, and production team. It explores BIPOC company members’ personal connections to the classics and sheds new light on familiar works.

SSC believes that art that is open—to adaptation, interpretation, and the recognition of the wonderful vastness of the human experience—is stronger and more long-lasting than art which ignores that complexity.