LOVE/SICK Comes to At The Long Beach Playhouse Studio

Playwright John Cariani writes about love, but not traditional forever-after-love but the kind that starts out well and then the people get to know one another. The stories engage all combinations of genders and human conditions. Cariani tells the stories in Love/Sick with wit, insight and in the aisles of a grocery supercenter.

"I love the set for this show," said Madison Mooney, the Playhouse's Executive Director. "All of us have walked the aisles of this store and all of us know what it's like to fall in love and to fall back out of love. In this play that happens in the aisles of the supercenter store."

"Our director is Shinshin Yuder Tsai. When we talked about the show we both knew the chemistry between the cast would be pivotal to making it work," said Sean Gray, Artistic Director for the Playhouse. "We're a community theater but our mantra is always to be more, to do more and to deliver shows on par with theaters with bigger budgets and resources. Tsai understands what that takes and he delivers that in this show."

Tsai describes relationships as structures built brick by brick without the benefit of pages of instruction. He notes that in Love/Sick, the audience visits nine different relationships which, together, form an overall picture. He says what makes this show interesting is that it's not content to stop at the happy endings but seeks to answer the question of what happens after happily-ever-after. He believes the audience will see themes they know like sacrifice, loss, redemption, and everything in-between and will understand that everything is possible in the superstore.

The nine stories are told by eight actors in various combinations. Some actors are making debuts while others are returning. Those making their debuts for this show are: Maria V. Oliveira, Devon DeLamora, Karen Owens, John Phelan, and William Jaramillo. Returning actors are: Elijah Douglas, Elspeth Carden and Holland Renton.
The cast, crew, director and staff invite everyone to come to the to the Playhouse supercenter to see this delightful show.

• Pay what you can Thursday June 7 - community can see this production for whatever they can afford
• Two for One Preview Friday June 8 - Tickets are $10.00
• Opening Night Champagne Reception with cast on June 9- Tickets are $27.00

Ticket Pricing:
Friday: Adults are $20.00, Seniors $18.00, and Students $14.00Saturday and Sunday: Adults are $24.00, Seniors $21.00, and Students $14.00.

Long Beach Playhouse is located at 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA, 90804, right across from the Long Beach Recreation golf course. The Playhouse is community-supported theatre with programs and events that cut across age, gender, ethnic, and cultural boundaries.

Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The box office is open Wednesday-Saturday from 3:00-8:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00-2:00 pm on scheduled matinees.

2026 Theater Fans' Choice Awards - Live Stats

Best Original Score - Top 3

1. The Rescues , The Rescues - The Lost Boys

41.7% of votes

2. Jim Barne, Kit Buchan - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)

28.2% of votes

3. Cinco Paul - Schmigadoon!

22.8% of votes

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