The Delaware Theatre Company’s latest production, Daryl Roth
presents:” Love, Loss, and What I
Wore” is an intimate collection of
stories by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron; based on the book by Ilene Beckerman.
The limited run play boasts a cast of familiar faces, including Sabrina Le Beauf
(The Cosby Show), Sonia Manzano (Sesame Street), Karyn Quakenbush
(Broadway’s Annie Get Your Gun),
Erica Watson (Precious), and Dawn
Wells (Gilligan’s Island).
The cast, sitting on stools, reads multiple stories of love,
death, disease, and relationships, all inspired by their characters’ clothing
and accessories. Only the endearing Ms. Wells reads a story (Gingy’s story)
that continues throughout the play. Gingy’s story is based on her dresses and weaves
between the other ladies’ tales. Ms. Wells opens the performance with Gingy’s
first monologue as an awkward 12-year-old and ends the evening with the
character’s final monologue as a confident grandmother. Ms. Wells’ precise
reading takes the audience on Gingy’s journey of personal and professional
triumphs and failures – many of the experiences are identifiable by both women
and men.
The rest of the readings, many of which deal with the
complex relationships between mothers and daughters, are short stories and
monologues. The tales, whether humorous or sad, mostly maintain a positive
outlook on life and keep the audiences’ spirits up!
In addition to reading stories about relationships between
women, some tales are about the relationships between women and their
belongings. Ms. Watson expertly delivers a monologue regarding the bottomless
purse and how it becomes a messy home for everything a woman owns. By the sound
of the audience’s laughter, it appears that most women could identify with the
story. Ms. Watson’s story telling is perfect. Her tone, voice inflections, and
body language brought the story to life.
While Gingy’s story resurfaces periodically throughout the
production and the purse story keeps the audience in stitches, other monologues
and tales revolve around inner turmoil (the feeling of being too fat or too
thin), horrible fashions from the past (jumpsuits and sleeveless turtlenecks),
and friends enjoying a night out (a group of ladies dressing like Madonna for a
Halloween party).
Ms. Watson and Ms. Wells along with the other actresses give
stunning performances. Whether they are reading a monologue or joining together
to tell a story, each woman rises to the occasion. Since there is no set and
only a few props, the women must depend on themselves to make the stories
enjoyable and real, and they do through their brilliant story telling talents.
This is the kind of show that you want to see with your “besties”
–
a girls night out! I think the
female audiences would enjoy a conversation with libations after the play. Get
your tickets today! The play closes
March 17th. To
purchase tickets and/or for more
information visit www.delaware
theatre.org or call 302.594.1100.
I've been a Wilmingtonian for 20 years, and a die-hard lover and supporter of all things fun, lively, artsy and nightlife-y in our fair city (and our State). The folks at Out & About magazine have me beat. 
