Chicago Reader
- Recommended
"...It's ridiculous, but Wolf's cast commits while also slyly letting us in on how much they know it's absurd. Among the ensemble, Brandon Beach as the king's friend Berowne and Danielle Kerr as Rosaline, the object of his not-so-secret affections, are particularly good, but there are moments to enjoy from the entire cast, who also deliver spritely tunes with gusto along the way."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Recommended
"...The entire ensemble shines during the Nine Worthies play, and the actors clearly had great fun with the Muscovites / masking scene. The king and courtiers, the princess and ladies, fully embrace the fun of the disguises and fly in the scene of the Muscovites. In these moments especially the players brought so much joy to the performance that the audience was completely enraptured with the company."
Third Coast Review
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Of William Shakespeare's comedies, Love's Labour's Love doesn't get a whole lot of-ahem, love. Written in the mid-1590s when the young Bard was learning his powers, the oft-ignored play centers on three men and their king who make an oath to forswear women for three years so they can devote themselves to study. Beth Wolf directs Midsommer Flight's production, performed outdoors at several Chicago parks this summer. Most of the actors are impressive, though a few poor performances, changes to the text, and complications inherent to an outdoor show made for a less-than-perfect night."
Spotlight On Lake
- Highly Recommended
"..."Love's Labour's Lost" tells the comedic story of the King of Navarre and his cohorts who claim they will keep away from women for three years in order to concentrate on their studies and courtly duties. Their noble vow, however, gets foiled in many ways when The Princess of France and her ladies in waiting appear on the scene."
Splash Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...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."
NewCity Chicago
- Recommended
"...A comedy, the story begins as the King of Navarre and his three male companions vow a three-year abstention from women for the sake of intense scholarship, only for their edict to crumble at the appearance of the princess of France and her three lovely lady attendants. The tone is light and zany. The players engage in one ridiculous scheme after another with puckish exuberance. Director Beth Wolf places actors among the surroundings, turning tree trunks into palace columns, and jewel-toned costumes by Rachel M. Sypniewski complement the verdure of the surrounding foliage."
