Shakespeare classic with a modern twist

By Lethbridge Herald on July 1, 2025.

Jeff Graham as Holofernes, Carson Rafuac as Berowne and Rachel Robinson as the Princess of France are performing in the Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society’s latest production, “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” starting Thursday at Galt Gardens.

Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Shakespeare Performance Society is inviting members of the community and beyond, to take a trip to the Kingdom of Navarre through their performance of Love’s Labour’s Lost beginning on Thursday at Galt Gardens. 

Director Dawn McCaugherty says this is one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays when he was a beginner playwriter and he is following the form of romantic comedy of that time period. 

“The giveaway is in the name,” says McCaugherty. “Love’s Labour’s Lost. Love doesn’t come to fruition in this play.”

The play is about the king of Navarre, which is a country between Spain and France, but the performance is set in a contemporary period, which allows for costume design to slightly walk away from traditional Shakespearian clothing. 

“The king’s father has recently passed away and he is determined to learn how to be a good king, because until now, he has been wasting his time and goofing around with his nobles instead of learning,” says McCaugherty. 

The king then decides to take a vow of celibacy to focus on learning, without having any fun and being serious for the next three years. 

“But then along comes the princess of France on an errand from her father, the king of France, with other women accompanying her and all the men fall in love with them,” says McCaugherty. 

Rachel Robinson, who plays the princess of France, says her character is a working royal, and she is a bit at a loss on why the men in Navarro are being so ridiculous and making those vows. 

“On one hand she is a very strong character, and on the other hand she really likes to have fun,” says Robinson. “And a lot of what we see in this play is that the princess does a lot of balancing of between representing her country and having fun.”

She says the princess is a fun character to play as it’s very relatable. Most people in the modern world try to balance being a working professional, getting things done and enjoying life. 

In terms of being able to have a more modern outfit this time around, Robinson, who has performed with Shakespeare in the park once before, says it is great to be able to wear something different. 

“I grew up watching Shakespeare and the most emotionally impactful that I have seen has been contemporary, and I think these plays are so brilliant because they work so well in 1800 Mexico, in the Afghan war and they can all work if you put your thought into it.”

She also helped her develop her character, as the princess finds information on her phone, which is something Robinson does all the time. 

“It felt very easy to try and figure out who she is in this world, and very freeing as it felt very natural.”

McCaugherty adds that there is live music in the play and actor are singing without microphones, so they have been working on their vocals alongside their acting. 

“This play is perfect for a summer entertainment. It’s fun, light and it has a lot of characters for young actors. And I have noticed that a lot of the actors that join Shakespeare in the park are young.”

Some of the actors are either still in university or just graduated from the University of Lethbridge. 

McCaugherty has directed the play in the park before and says it works very well. 

“We have a cast of 16 people, and they have all been amazing to work with. We have so much fun in rehearsals, and so much laughter. Our musical director is also acting in the play, and he has been phenomenal.”

Carson Rafuac, who plays Berowne, says it’s been fun to take part in the play because a lot of the architecture that it is seen in the play is also seen later in Shakespeare’s works. 

“You see a lot of character types, his language and how he develops as a writer,” says Rafuac. 

Jeff Graham, who plays a pedant and schoolteacher named Holofernes, has been acting for 40 years and says his character has been interesting to play as it slightly clashes with his own personality. 

“I’m kind of that kind of person, but not so free flowy and airy about it,” he says. “I’m more deliberate about the delivery, so this is the challenge I’ve been working for.”

He adds that having a new director is great because every new director is “a new toolkit.” And adds that it has been amazing to work with McCaugherty because she knows her craft well.