LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST to Feature AFAB Drag in the Beryl Ivey Garden at Western University.

Summer Shakespeare, Canada's longest-running outdoor Shakespeare event, will stage a fresh, decolonial take on Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost (LLL) from August 6th-9th in the Beryl Ivey Garden at Western University.

LLL - in its original context - follows the King of Navarre and his court as they take an oath to swear off women and earthly vices to gain as much knowledge as possible, which they believe will make them powerful and essentially, immortal. Their oath is quickly undone when the Princess of France and her ladies arrive at the castle to settle a land dispute.

In director and script supervisor Lauren daSilva's adaptation, the King's court is replaced by the executive of a university fraternity house, Sigma Nu. They receive failing grades which puts their fraternity at risk, and devise a plan to get their frat house back - which means swearing off girls and partying. When the all-female student council arrives at the house to negotiate the fraternity house repossession, Sigma Nu's plan quickly falls apart.

The show aims to satirize the male characters in the show by exaggerating their toxic masculinity through drag. Sigma Nu are portrayed entirely by female actors - subverting the cultural norms of Shakepseare's time that only allowed men to play women on stage. Henry Navarre (King of Navarre) is portrayed by Evie Marcotullio - a recent Windsor Law grad and former coordinator of Theatre Western. AJ Fosterdelmundo - a TMU acting student - plays Henry Berowne (Lord Berowne/Biron), Ella Harrison - former Theatre Western vice-president - plays Henry Dumaine (Lord Dumain) and Ana Piquet Carneiro Sued Soares plays Henry Longaville (Lord Longaville).

Summer Shakespeare is no stranger to queer adaptations, having staged a lesbian romance based on Romeo & Juliet last year, and a queer take on A Midsummer Night's Dream in 2024. This will be the festival's first year centring Assigned Female at Birth (AFAB) drag.

'It's important to show diverse queer perspectives on stage,' said daSilva. 'Normalizing drag - especially AFAB drag - in Shakespeare performances helps to decolonize his works. Instead of allowing a white, straight, male-centred view dictate how a story is interpreted, we're taking Shakespeare's words and making something that feels relatable and comfortable to a whole new audience.'

daSilva is reworking the story alongside associate director and dramaturg, Mackenzie Kerr.

'People have a narrow view of what Shakespeare shows can look like. We're trying to preserve historic works without preserving outdated ideals,' said Kerr.