Love’s Labor’s Lost Reimagined as a Motown Story Set in 1960’s Detroit
School of Theatre, Television, and Film production is “colorful, funky, creative, and proudly diverse.”
The SDSU School of Theatre, Television, and Film presents Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost on the SDSU Mainstage Friday, Dec. 2 through Sun. Dec. 11, 2022. Directed by Dani Bedau, the Shakespeare comedy accompanied by the music of Motown and psychedelic rock is the final production of the Fall 2022 season.
This story of reason and passion takes place in the kingdom of Navarre, where King Ferdinand and his men have vowed to swear off women just before the Princess of France and her ladies arrive to visit.
Bedau takes a new approach to Love’s Labor’s Lost by setting the story in 1960s Detroit. “Audiences can get a totally different representation of a Shakespeare play,” says Bedau. “In this production, the kingdom of Navarre is now Navarre Records. We have incorporated Motown and psychedelic rock music into the show.”
The Motown era setting will bring a new sense of familiarity to Shakespeare. “There are many moments that are interactive with the audience, and make the audience feel like they are actually in the same world as the actors,” says Tre Boyd who plays King Ferdinand.
Theatre Performance senior, Amira Temple, who plays the Princess of France shares her insights on the technical production of Love’s Labor’s Lost.
“The designers have created a physical world that perfectly compliments Dani's vision, and makes for a visually compelling space that is so cohesive with the acting and music that I truly expect audiences to feel immersed in our world,” says Temple. “Our version is colorful, funky, creative, and proudly diverse.”
Love’s Labor’s Lost will be performed on the SDS Mainstage Friday, Dec. 2 to Sunday, Dec. 11, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 for the public and $17 for students and can be purchased at the School of Theatre, Television, and Film website.
