By Brooke Thatcher 

The Calhoun High School On Tour Company is beginning its 2026-2027 season with Love’s Labour’s Lost, one of William Shakespeare’s comedies, directed by James Crichton. 

Love’s Labour’s Lost follows Ferdinand, the King of Navarre, and his three lords Berowne, Longaville, and Dumaine as they vow an oath to swear off the company of women for three years in order to focus on studying and fasting. A wrench is thrown in their plans when they learn that the Princess of France and her train are traveling to Navarre. Once the Princess arrives with her ladies-in-waiting Rosaline, Maria, and Katherine, chaos erupts as the four men instantly fall in love with the four women. A series of comical events ensues, complete with mistaken letters, disguised encounters, and a play-within-a-play. Ultimately, the show explores themes of desire, power dynamics between men and women, and reputation, as the men try to win the hearts of their lovers.  

Performances will take place in the Sal Salerno Little Theater at Calhoun High School (1786 State St., Merrick, NY 11566) on Oct. 16, 17, 23, and 24 at 7:00 p.m. The understudy performance will take place on Oct. 22 at 4 p.m. 

The play has been transported from a traditional Shakespearean setting to western Massachusetts in the mid-1990s. Inspiration has been drawn from films such as Dead Poets Society and Clueless. The Kingdom of Navarre has become Navarre Academy, an extremely old and prestigious New England boys’ boarding school. Subsequently, the four boys have been transformed into pupils of this esteemed academy, with the four girls hailing from the nearby St. Genevieve’s - Académie de France. Other characters have taken on the roles of staff and other students at both schools. The play will feature popular music from the time period and other various throwbacks to the mid-90s - remember a time before the iPhone? 

The talented cast features Dylan Glaser as Ferdinand, the King of Navarre, Gavin Zenie as Berowne, Brooke Thatcher as the Princess of France, Madison Petry as Rosaline, Jake Schwartz as Dumaine, Liam Nawrocki as Longaville, Carina Onesto as Katherine, Sulakhni Brar as Maria, Jayden Reyes as Don Adriano de Armado, Harry Jerozal as Costard, Tess Curcio as Holofernes, and a wonderful ensemble featuring both returning and new members of The On Tour Company. 

The Production Team includes Mr. Nick Giordano as Technical Director, Set, and Lighting Designer; Mrs. Lydia Gladstone as the Costume Designer, and Mr. Tony Melfa as the Sound Designer. Additional members of the student production team include Madison Petry & Brooke Thatcher as Assistant Directors, Morgan Milovich & Elizabeth Ramos as the Stage Managers, and Adeline Chaffey and Laura Glazer as the Choreographers.   

Tickets for Love’s Labour’s Lost are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors and can be reserved by calling the box office at (516) 992-1377 or reserved online by filling out our ticket request links (links available from our Instagram account: @theontourcompany). The remainder of the 2026-2027 season includes Kaufman and Hart’s You Can’t Take It With You, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and Dramafest, an evening featuring student-written, directed, & produced work.  

The On Tour Company has existed at Calhoun for over 50 years. The program was originally founded by Mr. James Drake and Dr. Dale Parkinson in 1973. Subsequent instructors included Mrs. Dianne Meistrell, Mr. John Fredrickson, and most recently, Mr. Sal Salerno, who led the On Tour Company for over four decades. Mr. James Crichton currently serves as the program’s Director.