Soft lighting coupled with Italian music, homemade biscotti and furry friends greeted the audience of this year’s Shakespeare play. A fresh twist on the Shakespeare classic The Two Gentlemen of Verona, the show takes place in Italy, circa 1965, in the midst of the Beatles and mod movement.

Although the play focuses on the dilemmas of young love, its misogynistic undertones relate the “bros before … {respectable women}” aspect of the 1960s social scene to our community today, as we grapple with recent revelations of sexual harassment.

The play begins with Proteus (junior Roger Burtonpatel) enjoying an espresso in Antonio’s Trattoria. He is desperately in love with Julia (senior Romy Meehan), a waitress at the trattoria. Meanwhile, Valentine (senior Max Murphy), Proteus’ best friend, enters the stage with his soccer buddies, chatting about different girls in a relatively derogatory way for Shakespeare language.

Proteus’s father, Antonio (senior Simon Ivcevic), sends him to Milan so that he can explore the world like Valentine, who is already in Milan. Proteus tearfully bids Julia goodbye with only the promise of his love and his ring, leaving Julia to wonder what’s in store for their relationship.

As soon as the young couple is separated, the “bards” enter the stage with Beatles music, and tell the audience they are accompanying Proteus on his travels to Milan. The bards are hippies equipped with a guitar and a golden retriever, and are obviously both stoned and delighted to see what’s next for Proteus.

Meanwhile, in a glitzy, multi-level Milanese nightclub, Palazzo di Sizzle, Valentine quickly falls in love with feisty Silvia, the Duke of Milan’s daughter (senior Sarah Groustra). The set for the nightclub is lit up with stringed white lights, portraits of the actors, and glittery silver tinsel.

In a standout and engaging evening performance at the nightclub, Angela (senior Lena Pontes), wearing a long velvet dress and a fur stole, performs an amazing opera. Valentine and Silvia also dance together to 1960s dance music that humorously slows down to a slow romantic waltz every time that Valentine and Sylvia make eye contact.

The show continues with Proteus entering the nightclub and immediately falling in love with Silvia. In his mind, Julia is now dead to him, and if Julia was a mere “star,” Silvia was a “celestial sonnet.” To “get with” Silvia, Proteus plots with Silvia’s father, the Duke of Milan, to ensure that Silvia does not end up with Valentine. Proteus, Silva’s father, Thurio and Valentine all believe that they can shape Silvia’s future so that it aligns with their own agendas.

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Contributed by Julia Van

The Duke of Milan (senior Nathaniel Liberman) then finds Valentine and banishes him from Milan. In his efforts to win over Silvia, Proteus tells her that Valentine is dead. Later that evening, Silvia’s arranged suitor, Thurio, performs a sonnet titled “Who is Silvia?” Proteus jumps in and tries to upstage Thurio, leaving Silvia disgusted with both of them.

Silvia plans to run away to find Valentine so that she does not have to marry Thurio, while Julia decides to set off after Proteus and travel to Milan from Verona. Disguised as a man, Julia is heartbroken by Proteus’ unfaithfulness after she befriends him, yet still delivers a ring to Silvia from Proteus. Silvia denies the ring, and tells Julia, disguised as a man, that she feels bad for “poor Julia” in Verona, making it clear that she cannot stand the way her suitors are treating her and Julia.

The play climaxes with Silvia lost in the woods after her plans to run away go awry. Proteus, who knows Silvia is running away, finds Silvia in the woods. Julia also arrives, spying on Proteus. After Valentine and Silvia are safely reunited, Julia decries that “women {have to} change their shape, for men to change their minds.”

Though the play is driven by Valentine, Proteus, and Thurio fighting over the same girl, Silvia stays true to her heart and refuses to give into Proteus’ or Thurio’s advances. Silvia’s steadfastness captures the strength of character women need to have to survive in misogynistic environments such as 1960s Verona.

Catch the last show on Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Roberts-Dubbs Auditorium. Admission $5.