Review: WE LOVERS at Loud Fridge Theatre Group

Step into the woods outside a small town and you’ll find a lantern-lit clearing, equal parts peaceful and quiet, full of life yet haunted and welcoming. This is the world of Christian St. Croix’s “We Lovers,” now expanded into a full-length production with Loud Fridge Theatre Group after winning the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2024 San Diego Fringe Festival. Directed by Kate Rose Reynolds at the Light Box Theatre in Liberty Station, the piece is less a conventional play and more a gathering: four locals meeting beneath the moon to share love stories that wander between the everyday and the otherworldly.

St. Croix’s writing is beautifully evocative and poetic. His imagery is lush, lyrical, and sometimes demands patience and close listening; in return, it rewards the reader with stories that feel at once intimate and epic. There is a woman who braves a desert of monsters, a man who falls for an angel, a final girl who sacrifices herself, and sweethearts racing against the sky.  One tale, the “Lakeside Slasher” campfire yarn, reads more straightforward and less mystical about the choices they were making; the others revel in metaphor, where love is fragile, dangerous, and yet strangely durable.

The four storytellers are as compelling as their tales, and they all go by nicknames for this activity.  This is William BJ Robinson as Little Bit, who brings warmth, empathy, and a sense of play. Kailey Agpaoa’s Doctor Sister is fiery, mischievous, and delightfully physical, with a trickster energy always ready to shake things loose. Kandace Crystal anchors Wolf and Bird with a layered sense of protectiveness, both maternal and marital, balancing humor with quiet strength. Newcomer to their group is Lester Isaruiz, whose moniker becomes Mama’s Boy.  He arrives with a fresh black eye (courtesy of an unseen father) and quickly becomes the emotional center of the group. His arc, from tentative outsider to fully invested participant, is tender and vulnerable.

What makes the evening so effective is the sense of play. The four performers create their own rules in the clearing, transforming scraps of flotsam and jetsam into props, improvising and layering in backstories as they go. Their creativity extends beyond the storylines and physicality, into the creation of wings, puppets, and other additions from the pieces in this cozy yet creative clearing.  It is a lovely callback to how children play, creating things out of found objects, imbuing them with life and meaning, and the world and story are always richer for it. Heather Larsen’s set design captures an in-between space: a meadow hideaway strewn with objects that feel scavenged, personal, and magical once repurposed, and is gently lit by Mashun Tucker's lighting design. Lanterns glow against a consistent soundscape of owls, crickets, and cicadas, by sound designer Estefania Ricalde, further blurring the line between stagecraft and summer night.

Reynolds’ direction leans into that looseness and is enhanced by the movement of Taylor Jo Oxley. Nothing feels over-rehearsed, yet everything lands with intention. The actors live inside the moment, weaving in and out of each other’s monologues, supporting without stealing focus. The structure remains mostly spoken-word as each storyteller takes their turn, but the interplay feels communal, as if the audience has been invited into a ritual they’ve been keeping for years.

“We Lovers” is, at its heart, about finding a community with whom you can escape, even for a few moments. Escape into stories, into a shared community, and into the better, braver selves these characters can inhabit for a night. The relief of being seen and heard when the world outside bruises you, fails to listen, or sees you for who you are. Loud Fridge’s production captures that balance of fragility and resilience with beauty and heart. The result is an imaginative evening that lingers like moonlight long after you leave the clearing.

How To Get Tickets

“We Lovers” by Loud Fridge Theatre Group is playing through October 12th at the Light Box Theatre in Liberty Station.  Tickets are free (and parking is also free), although Loud Fridge Theatre Group appreciates donations to help it continue to pay its artists while maintaining free admission. Reserve your tickets at www.loudfridge.com 

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