By Sasha Schechter

Photo by Samantha Abrams, from Oberlin Theater & Dance

Director Philip Waller ’11 saw the labors of his direction come to fruition during his Oberlin-ified adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost.

On my way to see Love’s Labour’s Lost this past weekend, I was sweating about how I would write a review on a play with which I had so much negative association.  I must admit something right off the bat: Love’s Labour’s Lost is my least favorite Shakespeare play.  I feel that it’s one of Shakespeare’s more self-indulgent endeavors, and no one I know can successfully explain to me the purpose of the final scene’s play within the play.

After over-analyzing and fretting, I was extremely pleased to find that this production turned out to be comic greatness that entertained from the first minute to the last, and it even made me like the play more.

Photo by Samantha Abrams, from Oberlin Theater & Dance

Perhaps the root of its success, the play was adapted to reflect on the themes of love, lust, and the struggles of approaching adulthood in the context of Oberlin’s campus (here named Navarre University) in the present day.  The characters were costumed to reflect different kinds of students at the school–from nerds to preps to hipsters–and the set seemed to be modeled after the stone stage and half-columns that sit outside Warner Gymnasium.

The simple scenery allowed the audience to feel grounded in the location; it was a comfort when the language and the basic plot of the play felt a bit fuzzy due to the way the play was written and the fact that certain scenes did not completely fit within the artistic vision.

The most impressive feat of this production was the polished 18-person ensemble.  Having 18 people in Little Theater already feels like the house is moderately full; 18 actors plus a full audience is something most directors would avoid at all costs.  Waller tackled the challenge with apparent ease and put together a fluid, solid, and downright fun production without sacrificing the personal feel that is coveted by those who use Little Theater.

Not only was the ensemble impressive as a whole, but individual actors also showcased mastery of the Shakespearian language and themes.  Standouts like Josh Silver ’11 (Berowne), Ellie Philips ’12 (Princess of France), and Sam Skove ‘12 (Costard) had such a firm grasp on the written words that they were able to convey contemporary subtext that Shakespeare probably couldn’t have imagined existing (as they didn’t have hipsters back then).

Photo by Samantha Abrams, from Oberlin Theater & Dance

The rest of the cast’s light spirit and concrete sense of comic timing (Samantha Bergman ’13, who played a witty and devious Moth, comes to mind) came together to create a modern production that proves how timeless Shakespeare’s writing is.

Although I loved the entire performance, I have to admit that my absolute favorite moment in the play was when Mora Harris ’12 (Dull) improvised several vocal fanfares in the final scene of the play.  Her portrayal of a dopey Dull had the audience falling in love with her; but she sealed the deal when she began screaming a fully orchestrated fanfare with trumpets, drums, symbols, and I’m sure other instruments we couldn’t hear over laughter.

Second semester’s theater lineup has begun with good laughs and great performances.  It’s a shame that this production was put up on a weekend when most students were still in transit back to campus after Winter Term.  Love’s Labour’s Lost’s smaller-than-usual audiences should feel privileged that they had the opportunity to see such a grand production.