Review Roundup: What Did Critics Think of LOVE'S LABORS LOST at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis?

Love's Labors Lost is running through June 23 at Forest Park as part of the 2019 Shakespeare Festival St. Louis.

Belonging to Shakespeare's "lyrical" period, which also included Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream, the play tells the story of the Princess of France and her ladies who arrive on a diplomatic mission to Navarre only to be met by a young king and his lords who have taken a vow not to see women. Affairs of state give way to affairs of the heart as Shakespeare reveals with great humor and compassion the way our culture sometimes doesn't fully prepare us for the realities of love and intimacy. A feast of language and theatrical virtuosity, Love's Labors Lost shimmers with all the passion and promise of a first kiss.

Love's Labors Lost's cast features: Patrick Blindauer as "Costard," Jeffrey Cummings as "Boyet," Philip Hernández as "Armado," Carl Howell as "Dull," Sam Jones as "Longueville," Katy Keating as "Nathanial," Vivienne Claire Luthin as "Maria," Kiah McKirnan as "Catherine," Molly Meyer as "Jaquenetta," Riz Moe as "DuMaine," Carine Montbertrand as "Holofernes," Naima Randolph as "Moth," Michael James Reed as "Forester/Marcadé," Sky Smith as "King of Navarre," Laura Sohn as "Roseline," Bradley James Tejeda as "Biron" and Kea Trevett as "Princess."

The creative team includes: Tom Ridgely (Director), Jason Simms (Set Designer), Melissa Trn (Costume Designer), Rusty Wandall (Sound Design), John Wylie (Lighting Design), Matt Pace (Composer) and Brien Seyle (Composer).

For more information about Shakespeare Festival St. Louis and Love's Labors Lost, tap here.

Let's check out what the critics are saying about the production...

Mark Bretz, Ladue News: Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis executive producer Tom Ridgely culls delightful performances from his polished ensemble in this sparkling presentation of one of The Bard's wittiest and most engaging comedies.

Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispach: As usual with Shakespeare, enjoying the play is more about getting the gist of what's going on than necessarily understanding each word. In this case, the gist is that when it comes to women and men, nothing much has changed since the Bard's day.

Mark Bretz, Ladue News: Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis executive producer Tom Ridgely culls delightful performances from his polished ensemble in this sparkling presentation of one of The Bard's wittiest and most engaging comedies.

Melissa Meinzer, St. Louis Mag: Also, says Ridgely, in this era of #MeToo and the reckoning it's unleashed, it's fitting to produce what he describes as Shakespeare's most feminist play. The women arrive on the scene for reasons of statecraft, not romance. (Although romance does ensue-it's a comedy, after all.) And after all the romantic high jinks, the women leave-they don't lie around swooning and pining.

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