A Trip to the Globe Theatre

On Friday, I had the opportunity to attend the Royal Shakespeare Company’s performance of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Globe Theatre. As their season closed on Saturday, this was my last opportunity to experience one of these incredible masterpieces in such a neat and historic atmosphere. I absolutely loved it!
It was the first time I hadn’t read a Shakespeare play before watching it performed on stage. It was a very different experience. I read the first few scenes and a synopsis of the play before coming, and was pleased to find I had no trouble following the plot or the characters. The actors were absolutely phenomenal. They each got so into their parts and had really neat costumes. They were all so funny and made the comedy a very enjoyable treat. At the play’s conclusion, I realized my cheeks were literally sore from smiling so wide throughout the entire performance.
One aspect of the experience that was particularly interesting for me was my recognition of some of the performers. The actress that played the role of the Princess was the same that had played Helena in the performance we saw of All’s Well That Ends Well. I didn’t like her in that performance, but was thrilled to find that she really is an incredible actress after this one. I also recognized the man that played one of the old scholars as the actor that played Leonardo DaVinci in the movie Ever After. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this hilarious comedy. The icing on the cake of the experience was resting my arms against the edge of the center stage as a groundling. That is where the play really comes to life as it unfolds before your eyes. The Princess and her ladies even offered a few of us grapes, apple slices, and cheese from their picnic at the intermission. The ending to the play is rather bitter sweet, as the happiness of each of the couples must be postponed a year while the Princess mourns the unexpected loss of her father; however, the loyalty and commitment of the lords is touching. I enjoyed this play probably the most of any Shakespeare performance I have yet seen, and that is really saying something.