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Love, Loss, and What I Wore: A review
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People say that a picture is worth a thousand words. For some, an article of clothing is worth two thousand words. Clothes have the power to bring back a lifetime of memories. Have you ever helped someone clean out their closet? Usually it is not a silent process. You hear them say things like, “Oh my Gosh! I wore that to the best party!” or “That is what I was wearing when I got engaged.” Closets can act like a museum of one’s life. I know I have the hardest time getting rid of clothes because I can remember things about every single thing that I own. The ladies of Love, Loss, and What I Wore know that feeling all too well.
Love, Loss, and What I Wore takes you on a journey through several women’s lives and closets filled with laughter, tears, love and friendship. Based on the book by Ilene Beckerman, the show is written by Nora and Delia Ephron. Love, Loss, and What I Wore has a rotating cast that changes each month. Past actresses include Rosie O’ Donnell, Kristen Chenoweth, Tyne Daily, Rhea Pearlman, Jane Lynch and many others. The cast that I was fortunate enough to see included Katie Finneran, Casey Wilson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Michele Lee and Debra Monk. Each woman shined with their monologues and succeeded in bringing a different point of view and feel to each story.
There were a few moments that truly stuck out in my mind. The visuals used by Michele Lee during the show were such a good choice in staging! When Lee’s character Gingy spoke, she had lovely drawings of the clothes she was talking about, which helped the audience to be in the moment with her. The monologues and pieces gave each actress the chance to show their comedic and dramatic side. One moment they would be talking about how they all dressed like Madonna from different stages of her life for Halloween, and then there would be beautiful transitions into more serious pieces like “The Bathrobe” or “Boots,” each dealing with a difficult time in the characters lives in which those articles of clothing act as a symbol of that difficult moment of time. For me the best part of the show was when the ensemble cast would do the comedic pieces like “The Dressing Room” in which they all shared funny horror stories of how cruel trying on clothes can be.
I have to say “Congratulations!” to all of the women in this show. Katie Finneran had great moments and character voices. Casey Wilson worked her comedic timing and transitioned well into her serious side. Tracee Ellis Ross is such a talent and a vision. Her performance of “The Gang Sweater” was hilarious. Michele Lee did an outstanding job of continually bringing us back to Gingy’s story and keeping the heart in the show. I have to say a big kudos to Debra Monk! As a theatre person, it is so inspiring to see talent like Monks’ in person.
Love, Loss, and What I Wore is the perfect show to see with a group of girlfriends or for mothers and daughters and sisters. That being said, guys can still go and enjoy it as well. The writing is great and it also gives you an inside look as to why women love clothes so much. For many of them, it is more than just clothes and shoes. It’s a friend that holds cherished memories.
For more information on Love, Loss, and What I Wore, visit www.lovelossonstage.com.