Join Shakespeare Festival Reads for a reading group discussion of “Love’s Labour’s Lost” and “All’s Well that Ends Well”!

In the charming comedy of manners “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” one of Shakespeare’s earliest efforts in the genre, a well-intentioned king vows to forego all fleshly delights, setting the stage for romantic hijinks. Ferdinand, the king of Navarre, insists that his court join him in a pledge to undertake a strict regimen of study and celibacy. The grudging compliance of three noblemen is sorely tested — as is the king’s own resolve — with the arrival of a French princess and a trio of comedy attendants.

In the fine tradition of the Bard’s plucky heroines, “All’s Well That Ends Well” concerns Helena, the daughter of a renowned physician, and her dauntless passion for the elusive Bertram, Count of Rousillon. Risking her very life for the opportunity to choose Bertram as her husband, Helena’s bid for Bertram’s hand turns out to be only the beginning of a series of trials and tribulations. Finally, at the end of a comic maze of mistaken identities, betrayals, repentance, and dramatic revelations, Helena’s efforts to corral her unwilling lover achieve joyful fulfillment.

Get “Love’s Labour’s Lost” and “All’s Well that Ends Well” for 20% off in store and online during the months of April and May!