Valentine’s Day came early as the cast of “Love’s Labour’s Lost” brought Shakespeare’s light-hearted romantic comedy to the Pavilion Theatre on Tuesday night.
As audience members trickled into the theatre, they were treated to the smooth-talking Berowne, played by Brandon Carter, as he worked his way through the crowd and did his best to charm the ladies.
While the play started, Berowne remained in the audience, playing a harmonica as the action started to unfold onstage.
The story began with King Ferdinand and three of his men renouncing women in the name of scholarship. Things got complicated when the Princess of France showed up with three of her ladies-in-waiting and the gentlemen struggled to keep their feelings at bay.
Throughout the night, the audience was very involved in the performance. Cast members were constantly handing off props such as a rose, an apple, and a hat to people seated in the front rows.
At one point, King Ferdinand hid in the fourth row of seats, raising a program up to his face so that a character onstage would not be able to see him.
At intermission rose petals that had been strewn across the stage were swept up and replaced with leaves, literally setting the stage for a surprisingly somber ending.
Fuad Ligali (junior-actuarial science) was at the performance as a requirement for class, but thoroughly enjoyed the experience, he said.
“I don’t think enough people realize the quality of the productions at Penn State,” he said.
Maggie Swahl said that she thought the play was really well acted and especially enjoyed the character Costard.
“It was easier to understand than just reading the play,” Swahl (sophomore-theatre) said.
The final preview will be Thursday at 7:30 p.m., with regular performances running Feb. 15-23.
