Reduxion Theatre revisits lesser-known Shakespeare with reimagining of “Love’s Labour’s Lost”
A version of this story appears in Wednesday’s Life section of The Oklahoman.
Reduxion Theatre revisits lesser-known Shakespeare with “Love’s Labour’s Lost”
The company will perform an updated version of The Bard’s romantic comedy through March 2 at its Broadway Theater before taking the production on a tour of the Metropolitan Library System.
For Erin Woods, bringing one of William Shakespeare’s lesser-known romantic comedies to the Oklahoma City stage has been a labor of love.
Through March 2, Reduxion Theatre Company is performing an updated version of The Bard’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” at its Broadway Theater, 1613 N Broadway Ave.
“It’s something that I fell in love with as a child because I just thought it was adorable. You swear off women, and then four perfect women show up at your doorstep. And that’s just how it goes,” said Woods, Reduxion’s managing director, with a laugh.
“It’s actually the first full-length Shakespeare play I ever saw as a child … as a live performance. And I loved it. I just thought it was the greatest thing in the whole world, but then I just also fell in love with Shakespeare in general. And that’s one thing that’s sort of vexed me for years is like why isn’t ‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’ as popular as, say, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ or ‘Much Ado About Nothing.’ I mean, it’s charming. It’s got this interesting love story that has this real revolutionary ending.”
In the story, young King Ferdinand of Navarre (Sam Bearer) convinces three of his noble lords — Dumaine (Jeff Burleson), Longaville (Ian Clinton) and the reluctant Berowne (Mitchell Reid) — to join him in signing an oath to pursue scholarship and eschew women for three years. Naturally, The ink is no sooner dry than the strong-willed Princess of France (Claire Powers) and her three noble ladies — Katherine (Catherine Pitt), Maria (Susan Riley) and sharp-tongued Rosaline (Holly McNatt) — arrive for a diplomatic visit and the men find themselves falling comically in love.
“That’s one of the joys about this show: Four guys as soon as they swear off women, four women show up. It’s just a fun time,” Burleson said with a laugh.
The production opened the week before Valentine’s Day, and throughout the run, Reduxion is offering a romantic couple’s package that includes champagne and cupcakes
for two.
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