Love, Loss and What I Wore: Not Just a Girls’ Night Out

The ensemble cast of “Love, Loss and What I Wore.” From left, Abby Rueb, DD Glaze, Regina Zwilling, Bev Jensen and Luann Pamatian

A review by Cara Russell

[Friday, July 12] was opening night of “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” written by Nora and Delia Ephron.  While in New York, director Doug Bechtel slipped into a performance of “Love, Loss, etc.” one rainy day.  He loved the play so much that he went back a second time.  Bechtel loved the rotation of actresses playing the roles, and wanted to bring that to his production at the Grange.

With a title like “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” one would expect that this play is mostly good for a girl’s night out.  From blow-up bras and mono-boobs, to periods, purses, and homemade Girl Scout uniforms, trousers, hats, wild shades of lipstick, and wedding dresses, to heels, boots, and Birkenstocks —  yes, they covered it all.  Any thought that I have ever had about my body or my style, was nailed last night by these women.

Each night there is the main ensemble cast, made up of DD Glaze, Regina Zwilling, Bev Jensen, and Luann Pamatian.  But the role of “Gingy” changes with each performance.  On opening night, July 12, Mary Bayley protrayed “Gingy” wonderfully.

The changing of the roll of “Gingy” from night to night provides the script with completely different tone and pacing. The multiple casting gives great actresses, who cannot normally commit to a full production, the opportunity to perform this Readers Theater production for just one performance, Each woman is well dressed, stylishly in black, and wearing big, silver jewelry, their hair done up perfectly, with every piece in place.  Celtic Beauty hairdresser Carol Whitbeck really outdid herself this time.

DD Glaze was sweet and feminine, even when she said “Fine! Go, and take your fucking boots with you!”  I have seen Regina Zwilling onstage twice before, but last night I was blown away, the best performance by Zwilling yet.  New to the island, Bev Jensen, who played a tiny but powerful role in this years’ PlayFest, nailed her monologue about the ever-growing clutter bag, known as the purse.  I am with Bev on this one, give me something I can throw over my shoulder, which will hold everything I may ever need to get me to the moon and back.  Luann Pamatian, who may have had the best hair of the night, was charismatic and strong onstage.  The way she tells a story keeps the audience riveted, as she seems to be reliving the experience.

I know I went in to this play with a certain skepticism — will they only talk about periods, men cheating on them, and what they were wearing when it happened?  Yes, there was a bit of that, being cheated on, being the cheater, periods horror stories from hell and the like, but it was all delivered in a philosophical “that’s life” attitude.

And everyone laughed.  I didn’t even worry about the 90 minute performance without an intermission.  Not once did I shift in my seat, look to the place where a watch would be, if I owned one, or think of taking a bathroom break.  The performance flew by, and was mostly about love and laughter.

Clothing and accessories have always been a form of expression.  They  give us confidence or a lack of, help us to accept our bodies as beautiful —  or leave us feeling our own defeat.  We are, even though we wish it could be otherwise, defined by our shape, and our ability to dress well.  It is a burden and a joy to be a women, because love and loss do go hand-in-hand with what we wear.

Our experiences are shaped by how others see us, and treat us, and how we ultimately treat ourselves. In a culture that places ridiculous expectations on the female form, “Love, Loss and What I Wore” provides not only the female perspective, but the laughter and pain that goes along with these expectations.

Who will be the next Gingy?

• Saturday July 13th:   Christina Orchid
• Friday July 19th:   Maura O’Neill
• Saturday July 20th:   Abby Rueb
• Friday July 26th:   Annette Mazzarella
• Saturday July 27th:   Pam Loew
• Sunday July 28th:   Phoebe Hershenow

“Love, Loss and What I Wore” plays at the Grange the next two weekends: Friday, July 19, Saturday, July 20, Friday, July 26, Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28. All performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and are available at Darvill’s Bookstore in Eastsound at orcasactors.com, and at the Actors Theater stage door at the Grange.