Love’s Labour’s Lost review- Midsommer Flight is back in Chicago’s parks

Midsommer Flight, Chicago’s premiere free outdoor Shakespearean theater company, is in the middle of its annual set of performances, at 6 Chicago parks. Through August 3, 2025, the company is presenting a charming and intelligent version of Love’s Labour’s Lost, (LLL) circa approx. 1590. The production July 3^rd, at Gross Park, 2708 W. Lawrence, was special for its ambience and the faithfulness of the actors to their characters. The play has long been condemned as overly wordy by both critics and audiences, and there is certainly a deal of soliloquy and recitation. But the long speechifying did not stop the audience of kids, adults, and dogs from paying very close attention and enjoying the beautiful weather, the slowly setting sun, and the amenities of the park itself, some of which were used as props in Isa Noe’s skillful stagecraft.

As an early example of the great Bard’s writing, LLL already has many of the hallmarks of his artistic technique, perfected and beloved in later masterpieces such as A Midsommer Night’s Dream. Technical concepts include love at first sight, love notes carried to and from the wrong personnel by ill-chosen minions, the substitution of one character for another as part of a mischievous scam, play within the play, fictional characters and settings, and of course, original music, here emerging late in the play. The action, often hilarious in the expression of secondary characters, (another Shakespearean coin of the realm) focuses on the themes of foolish masculine love based on desire, reckoning and rationalization, and the belief in fantasy over reality.

The plot- typical of but not a particularly polished example of- Shakespeare’s later romcom farces, follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as they make a largely failed- and senseless- effort to forswear the much wanted company of women for three years to focus on studious effort. Their predictable joint and several resulting infatuations with the Princess of France and her court of ladies puts paid to their contractual oaths.  Upon the death of the Princess’s father, all mutually desired weddings are put off for a year.

The presentation, tautly directed by Founding Artistic Director Beth Wolf, features Joshua Pennington, suave and gentle as Ferdinand, the King of Navarre; Travis Ascione as companion Dumaine; Brandon Beach as companion Berowne; and Dane Brandon, as companion Longaville. The 3 companions were gallant and seriously lusty. Vanessa Copeland portrayed a wise and lovable Princess of the Aquitaine, and her alternately bawdy yet regal ladies are played with glee by Juliet Kang Huneke as Maria; Danielle Kerr as the high-minded Rosaline; and Lydia Moss as Katherine. Also featured in the cast are Michael Girts, Jessica Goforth, Barry Irving, Drew Longo, Hayley Rice, Ruby Sevcik, and Travis Shanahan.

The cast worked seamlessly together, those who were not “stars” managing to shine and project consistent points of view as they interpreted each personae with improvisational footplay and clever facial expression. Kudos to the Elizabethan-era brocades and puffed sleeves, aprons, snoods and hankies of Costume Designer Rachel Sypniewski, and the rest of the production team.

 Love’s Labour’s Lost is jam-packed with high-level poetic wordplay including puns and allusions, and these literary sorties themselves explore the nature of the spoken and written word, forming the basis for much jest and plot advancement in the form of irony, broad wit, and physical comedy. Time is upended as the women fall under the spell of declarative passion, and only when the King dies does reality awaken and predictably cause the characters to once again renounce desire. 

Since 2012, Midsommer Flight’s delightful plays have been a welcome harbinger of summer, true to the 500 year-old tradition of art performed in natural light and congenial settings. Don’t miss this!

Upcoming Performances:

• July 5 and 6 at Gross Park, 2708 W. Lawrence
• July 11, 12 and 13 at Nichols Park, 1355 E. 53^rd Street
• July 18, 19, 20 at Kelvyn Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood
• July 25, 26, 27 at Winnemac Park, 5100 N. Leavitt
• August 1, 2, 3 at Touhy Park, 7348 N. Paulina

All photos by Tom McGrath TCMcG Photography