LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST - By Gillian Barnard
At first glance you might wonder if you've accidentally wandered into an on-stage production of "Saved by the Bell." But when the Shakespearean dialogue commences, theater-goers will be reassured that they are indeed attending Duke's Department of Theater Studies' new production of Love's Labour's Lost.
Director and Duke alum Robert Milazzo chose to portray this Shakespeare classic in the spirit of The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. For this reason the romantic leads of the play are not beautiful and popular. They are the quintessential dorks. Guys wear tape on their glasses and girls are subjected to such costuming indecencies as argyle socks with Birkenstocks. The stage set is a perfect facsimile of a public high school, complete with lime green lockers and folding cafeteria tables that will make the audience nostalgic for the tenth grade.
Milazzo (currently a teacher at the New York Film Academy) explains that the most exciting thing in creating a modern version of Love's Labour's Lost was the ability to be as creative as he wanted. He purposely chose to direct this comedy in order to enable the actors and actresses to portray characters close to their own age. Milazzo's goals were to make the performance real, accessible and most of all hysterically funny. He is clearly relishing the opportunity to make the audience laugh.
If laughter is the goal, then Milazzo and the cast succeed fantastically. Jokes run the gamut from a pregnant cheerleader to simulated urination. A live on-stage band provides the audience with constant uncomplicated humor reminiscent of the singers in There's Something About Mary (with far better music.) Filled with SNL-style jokes, one wonders if this rendition of Love's Labour's Lost is forced to sacrifice some amount of grace at the expense of humor.
There are moments when too many talented comedians compete for the spotlight and suck the soul from a scene. This sometimes leaves the play resembling a DUI performance.
But as Milazzo said, "What is beautiful and sentimental about Shakespeare will always be there." This performance is dripping with just that beauty. Nowhere is this more evident than with the four male leads, who expertly deliver cheap laughs--and seconds later--leave us breathless with a powerful, romantic monologue. Indeed, the cast brings a sufficient amount of comedic and dramatic talent to make this version of Love's Labour's Lost an entrancing, contemporary interpretation of the classic.
The Wiz - by Julia Fryett
The wonderful world of Oz has gone terribly wrong. The Tinman wants to be oiled everywhere, and the Lion suffers from an unyielding Oedipus complex. The Wizard is always surrounded by an entourage of scantily clad "wiz girls" and the good witch Addaperle has shed her sparkling pink gown for a boa and leopard accessories. And the formerly naïve field of poppies that the wicked witch Evillene uses to induce sleep on her prey? Let's just say that these "poppies" are not of the legal variety.
Such is the world that William F. Brown and Charlie Small introduced in their 1975 hit musical, The Wiz. Their unconventional interpretation of L. Frank Baum's classic novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ran an impressive 1,672 performances on Broadway and won 7 Tony awards including "Best Musical" and "Best Score." A film version that was released several years later boasts Diana Ross and Michael Jackson on the soundtrack. It is quite possible that Baum would roll over in his grave at the thought of such a steamy and sarcastic twist to his tale, but the adaptation provides an intriguing social commentary and fresh entertainment.
Duke's very own Hoof'n'Horn, the oldest student-run musical theater group in the South, have revived this musical for their fall production just in time for parents' weekend. Their diverse cast offers a broad range of talent and the orchestra is smooth, bringing life to the soul and jazz-inspired music. The previous candy-coated world of Dorothy and Toto has been contorted into a twisted dream--one that begs for a Freudian analysis. Louisa Watkins as Evillene and Stephen Cox as the Tinman are both fantastic. Cox even whips a little tap routine mid-performance. The new Dorothy is played by Melanie Ragland, who belts out each of her solos with a remarkable vocal ability. She does not have a Toto in this production, but the sparkling slippers are still in place.
The offbeat nature of the musical walks a fine line between amusement and banality. The first clue that you are in for a bizarre journey is when the tornado is personified in dancers with red pom-poms who push Dorothy around until she collapses into unconsciousness. When she wakes up in Oz, she is greeted by zealous munchkins who hop around the stage on bouncy balls. Addaperle, the good witch, enters and attempts to complete magic tricks. She finally gives up on making herself disappear and proceeds to go "take a bus." The whimsical Yellow Brick Road is actually four actors dressed up in yellow t-shirts and blue jeans with yellow bricks painted on the pant legs. The Lion thinks he is Elvis, and Evillene's servants are adorned in costumes made out of garbage bags. You get the picture.
While the singing is impressive, several of the characters are difficult to hear and minor technical flaws distract from their performances. It is unfortunate that Hoof'n'Horn's limited funds leave them without a quality set and costumes. Still, the show is an overall entertaining production and proves that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz has more adult themes and relevance than we once thought. We are most definitely not in Kansas anymore.
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