‘Love’s Labour’s Lost’: Shakespeare’s Hidden Gem

From zany characters to clear direction, Midsommer Flight puts on a stellar performance of one of Shakespeare’s funniest works.

Jaquenetta (Ruby Sevcik) and Don Armado (Drew Longo) , in "Love's Labour's Lost." Tom McGrath/ TCMcG

CHICAGO—Midsommer Flight is presenting one of Shakespeare’s earliest, funniest comedies, “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” for its summer season in Chicago’s parks. The company has created a wonderful revival.

First presented in London in the 1590s, the play was performed for Queen Elizabeth. Shakespeare believed she would enjoy the battle-of-the-sexes plot. The romantic comedy languished for centuries afterward because its language was so era-specific that producers thought it would be too difficult for modern theatergoers to understand.