Love’s Labour’s Lost, then found, at Caltech

It is often said that art imitates life, but in some cases, it turns out to be the other way around. A case in point is Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, which is currently being produced by Theater Arts at Caltech (TACIT).

The plot concerns a small band of men led by the King of Navarre, which was a realm that straddled the border of modern-day Spain and France. The king and his men decide one day, quite high-mindedly, that they will focus their attention on nothing but academic pursuits. They also agree to adopt rules governing their behavior, including such basic needs as sleep, food, and sex. Self-denial and virtue, they believe, will purify their bodies, exalt their minds, and lead to fame and glory.

“Think Caltech, 1969,” said Gavin Claypool, the play’s production manager.

No sooner do these self-styled ascetics begin attempting to live by their new rules, than a group of independent young women, including the Princess of France, alights on this motley group.

“Think Caltech, 1970,” Claypool quipped, referring to the year that undergraduate women were admitted to the Institute.

As directed by Shirley Marneus, a lecturer in theater arts who is co-teaching the Shakespeare course, Lit 114, the action in this production of Love’s Labour’s Lost is set during the Roaring ’20s.

“I thought it would be fun because it’s in the past, but a not-too-distant past,” Marneus said. “I feel that it’s a period when people felt that nothing could go wrong and they were running around in white linen coats. There was a carelessness among the wealthy, and to a degree, an arrogant attitude of the privileged.”

There is a corresponding degree of extravagance to the language as well. Many of the lines are erudite to the point of being ostentatious, a fact Marneus believes indicates that Shakespeare was poking fun at a fashion of his time.

“Not every word and phrase needs to be understood to know what the characters are saying,” said Jenijoy La Belle, professor of the literature course. “You don’t need to be a scholar to enjoy this play and become caught up in its excitement.” A number of her Shakespeare students are also involved in the play’s production.

The cast is composed of a true cross-section of the Caltech community, Marneus said, including undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and staff from Caltech and JPL.

Although the play has 26 players, more are needed for the closing scene, Claypool said. Volunteers are sought to throw flowers, carry banners, and move blackboards. The production also needs people to work backstage building the set and assisting during performances.

“This is a great way to meet and interact with people of this century meeting and interacting with ideas from another century,” Marneus said.

Love’s Labour’s Lost opens on Friday, February 22, and runs for three weekends. For more information, visit the TACIT website at www.its.caltech.edu/~tacit/. Volunteers can call Gavin Claypool at extension 3696, or email tacit@caltech.edu.
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