Featuring dramatic sword flourishes, intricate Elizabethan-style costumes, lively drum beats and comedic allusions to several classic plays, “Shakespeare in Love” isn’t subtle—and it’s not supposed to be.
“It really is a love letter to theater itself,” said acting major Farbod Farrokh, who plays Rose Theatre owner Philip Henslowe. “I hope that people enjoy seeing us on stage making theater together and they fall in love with the play like we did.”
LAPC Theatre’s performance of “Shakespeare in Love,” directed by Theater Professor Shaheen Vaaz, will run from May 3 to 12. “Shakespeare in Love” is based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, and was adapted for the stage by Lee Hall. The play offers the audience a humorous glimpse of famed playwright William Shakespeare’s life in 1593, as he navigates romance, conflict and the creative process of writing “Romeo and Juliet.”
“This is a play for people who love Shakespeare, but it’s also just a really good and fun play,” Vaaz said. “I don’t want people to be daunted by something that says Shakespeare, because it’s a play that everyone can be immersed in and get a lot out of.”
The play includes 23 actors, making it one of Pierce’s largest ever casts, according to Vaaz.
“This is a huge cast, so a big part of the process is just handling a lot of people,” Vaaz said. “There’s never a dull moment, since it’s always about choreography and staging and managing every single person.”
This is Stage Manager Sasha Santa Cruz’s fifth play at Pierce, but she has never dealt with a cast this large. She said she’s challenged herself to use the production to “grow and make it better and more organized than I’ve ever been before.”
“It’s a lot of new people and we’re being patient and showing them the ropes of how to do it,” Santa Cruz said. “They’re doing a fantastic job.”
The play isn’t only unique for the amount of actors involved, but also for its costumes. From deep green fabrics to traditional trousers to billowing dresses, Pierce’s production of “Shakespeare in Love” features nearly 80 costumes. Most actors change at least twice throughout the play.
“The costumes are very important in this show because they help portray the journey that the characters go on within the Elizabethan period,” Costume Designer Eileen Gizienski said. “I think that without having them established in the Elizabethan period, it would take away from the story.”
Acting major Dale Van Slyke, who plays the cruel moneylender Fennyman, said that audience members should look forward to the many hidden jokes in the play.
“If you’re a Shakespeare nerd or a language nerd, you’ll notice there are so many Easter eggs from all his other plays,” Van Slyke said. “Either way, if you’re into Shakespeare or not, it’s going to be super fun, super funny and have lots of humor.”
The play will open at the LAPC Performing Arts Mainstage on the Pierce campus on Friday, May 3 and continue through Sunday, May 12. Performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Students and seniors can buy tickets for $15 and general admission tickets cost $20. Free parking is located in Lot 6, next to the Performing Arts Building.
For additional information or to purchase tickets, call (818) 719-6488, or visit lapctheatre.org to purchase tickets online.
