Spring Break
Drexel Players complete Love's Labor
By: Dave Goncalves
Issue date: 5/11/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Originally published: 5/11/07 at 2:59 AM EST
Last update: 5/11/07 at 2:59 AM EST
Originally published: 5/11/07 at 2:59 AM EST
Last update: 5/11/07 at 2:59 AM EST
As one of Shakespeare's earlier comedies, Love's Labor's Lost follows concepts and ideas similar to those found in his other comedies such as Much Ado about Nothing. However, the play itself builds itself up rather interestingly as it is based heavily around intellectual content, as opposed to the at-hand content of love and endearment.
The Drexel Players worked quite well with the Commonwealth Classic Theatre Company actors in portraying this aspect of the play. The word-heavy production often plays on diction, throws in a slew of puns at a time and is packed with many different types of literary allusions thrown in there. The way the performance comes out, it's a play for the eyes and ears; the whole thing is like a visual version of an epic poem written with elements of sonnets.
The performance itself was executed with unbelievable accuracy, and whimsical qualities that benefited the production. The play focuses around King Ferdinand (Brian Browne) and his group of scholars: Dumaine (David Roy), Longaville (Tim Urian) and Berowne (Allen Radway) and their infatuation with the Princess of France (Rachel Gluck) and her lady ambassadors (Charlotte Northeast, Rachel Tkaczyk, and Olivia Johnson). The comedy comes out in the fact that the King and his scholars have subscribed themselves to three years of study without adhering to temptations of the body moments prior to meeting with the Princess and her ladies. And of course, each member of the King's party falls for a member of the Princess'.
All the actors put on a strong effort in their performances and made it fairly enjoyable to sit through. Drexel's Rachel Semigram and Eamon McIvor put on strong performances as Jaquenetta and Costard, two of the play's major comic reliefs, even though the play was a comical presentation of sass to begin with. However, those roles, at times, to detract a little as at times; they seemed a little heavy or forced in comparison to those of the actors from the CCTC, but not enough to be of any major consequence.
The Drexel Players worked quite well with the Commonwealth Classic Theatre Company actors in portraying this aspect of the play. The word-heavy production often plays on diction, throws in a slew of puns at a time and is packed with many different types of literary allusions thrown in there. The way the performance comes out, it's a play for the eyes and ears; the whole thing is like a visual version of an epic poem written with elements of sonnets.
The performance itself was executed with unbelievable accuracy, and whimsical qualities that benefited the production. The play focuses around King Ferdinand (Brian Browne) and his group of scholars: Dumaine (David Roy), Longaville (Tim Urian) and Berowne (Allen Radway) and their infatuation with the Princess of France (Rachel Gluck) and her lady ambassadors (Charlotte Northeast, Rachel Tkaczyk, and Olivia Johnson). The comedy comes out in the fact that the King and his scholars have subscribed themselves to three years of study without adhering to temptations of the body moments prior to meeting with the Princess and her ladies. And of course, each member of the King's party falls for a member of the Princess'.
All the actors put on a strong effort in their performances and made it fairly enjoyable to sit through. Drexel's Rachel Semigram and Eamon McIvor put on strong performances as Jaquenetta and Costard, two of the play's major comic reliefs, even though the play was a comical presentation of sass to begin with. However, those roles, at times, to detract a little as at times; they seemed a little heavy or forced in comparison to those of the actors from the CCTC, but not enough to be of any major consequence.
Bobbi A Kindt
posted 5/12/07 @ 8:29 PM EST
Every time I read a review of a Drexel Player's production in the Triangle I am disappointed at the quality of the writing.
I'm appalled that this is considered acceptable to print and publish at the college level. (Continued…)