Review: LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE at Oyster Mill Playhouse

Nora and Delia Ephron’s play Love, Loss, and What I Wore premiered in 2008. The play is based on the 1995 book by Ilene Beckerman. A series of monologues that explore relationships, moments in the lives of women, identity, and clothing, Love, Loss, and What I Wore is a highly relatable piece of theatre. Under the direction of Marcie Warner and assistant director Nancy Parson, Oyster Mill Playhouse presents this humorous, poignant, authentically emotional play through March 22nd.

The all-female production team includes, in addition to director Marcie Warner, producer/Costume Designer/poster artist Bethany Butler, producer Sam Speraw, stage manager/lighting tech Abby Armstrong, assistant stage manager Becky Jenkins, lighting designer Tessa Arnold, and assistant director/sound designer Nancy Parson. The set, props, and costuming highlight, in a subtle and lovely way, the various themes that tie the show together. The lighting and blocking help to keep the audience’s attention focused on the story and those telling the story.

The cast features Diane McCormick as Gingy, the storyteller who provides the thread that weaves the monologues and vignettes together. Joining McCormick are Riley Artis, Kristen Borgersen, Sarah Carson, Jackie Dougherty, Lois Heagy, Jila Rusavage, Delainey Shroy, and Gerren Wagner. McCormick’s performance is delightful. She fills Gingy’s story with vivacity and authenticity, making the audience feel as though they are listening to a dear friend’s life story.

Artis, Borgersen, Carson, Dougherty, Heagy, Rusavage, Shroy, and Wagner each take on various characters throughout the performance, demonstrating wonderful versatility, whether through altering their voices and accents like Heagy and Rusavage, changing their expressions and line delivery like Borgerson, Wagner, and Carson, or varying their attitudes like Artis, Dougherty, and Shroy. Even when they are not actively taking part in the scene, each of these actors are fully involved in the story so that no matter where the audience is looking, they are never distracted or disengaged.

There are so many wonderful and relatable moments in this play, audience members of various ages and backgrounds are sure to find themselves drawn into the humor and emotions. This reviewer particularly enjoyed the “Clothesline” scenes, “I Hate My Purse”, and “Brides”. “The Bathrobe” and “Geralyn’s Story” are particularly powerful and heart-rending. “Madonna” and “Sisters” are delightful.