Thu - Dec 4, 2025 - 7:30 PM
Fri - Dec 5, 2025 - 7:30 PM
Sat - Dec 6, 2025 - 2:00 PM
Sign Language Interpreted
Sat - Dec 6, 2025 - 7:30 PM
Love’s Labour’s Lost By: William Shakespeare
November 14 - December 6, 2025
Get ready for a retro twist on a Shakespeare comedic gem! Transported to a totally tubular 80s-inspired high school setting, this production blends all the classic laughs, mischief, and romance with vintage fashion, big hair, and rad vibes. When a group of friends tries to swear off love to focus on their school work, their plans go hilariously off the rails as new arrivals and unexpected attractions shake up their studies. Join us for a fab, fun, and irresistibly nostalgic take on one of the Bard’s most charming comedies.
Content Advisory: Contains Shakespearean innuendo and adult themes. Contact the Box Office for more details.
Run Time: 2 hours, 15 mins (plus one intermission)
Jasimine Bouldin*
Rosaline
Billy Chace*
Boyet
Jason Coffenberry*
Dumaine
Cary Davenport*
Moth
Giles Davies
Don Armado
Jeremy Dubin*
Costard
Hannah Gregory
Jaquenetta
Jim Hopkins*
Holofernes
Courtney Lucien*
Princess of France
Elizabeth Chinn Molloy
Maria
Grant Niezgodski*
Longaville
Dani Grace Nissen
Katherine
K.P. Powell*
Berowne
Patrick Earl Phillips*
King Ferdinand
Aiden Sims*
Nathaniel
Robert Carlton Stimmel^
Dull, Forester, Messenger
Directed by Matthew Lewis Johnson
Scenic Design: Samantha Reno
Costume Design: Rainy Edwards
Lighting Design: Watson
Sound Design: Robert Carlton Stimmel^
Wig Design: Kayla Cieslinski
Choreographer: Susan Jung
Stage Manager: Danitza Piper*
Assistant Stage Manager: Tessa Killen*
*Appearing through an Agreement between this theatre, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, and Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
^Artist Sponsored by Judge Mark Painter
Inspired by the classic, teen-filled films of John Hughes, our production of Love Labour’s Lost takes place in a preppy high school in the 1980's. Like Shakespeare, Hughes’ scripts would fly from absurdist meta-comedy to heart-on-your-sleeve-earnest in the same scene, always underscored by the perfect soundtrack. Our plot is the same as Shakespeare’s, only the trappings surrounding it have changed.
To help bridge the gap, take a closer look at the character’s new roles in this totally tubular setting:
