Two Surrey-based actors are among the six set to portray 16 characters in the next show staged by Douglas College’s theatre department.
From Nov. 9-13, “Love/Sick” will showcase romance in all its forms through eight one-act performances.
In John Cariani’s play, “love becomes the good, complicated kind of infectious” – between water-pistol assassinations and spouses ordering adultery for lunch and dinner, an event advisory explains.
The common thread among the shorts is their setting: a Friday night at the SuperCenter, a fictional grocery store.
“Metaphors turned shamelessly literal drive the play’s comedy,” the theatre company raves. “In one example, a woman seeking to find herself post-marriage struggles to find said self somewhere in her garage. Another case features a man who finds himself literally stunned, his nervous system overloaded, whenever he hears the words, ‘I love you.’”
(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)
^^ The "Love/Sick" show at @douglascollege features Surrey student-actors Jodie Aguinaldo (left) and Kelly Zhou, along with four others playing 16 characters.
STORY: https://t.co/RuYVYvAZfq pic.twitter.com/03EeUNQpAG— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) October 28, 2021
A self-described hopeless romantic, director Tamara McCarthy was drawn to “Love/Sick” by the relatability of the characters in spite of their bizarre circumstances.
“I love the blur of reality and absurdity that ‘Love/Sick’ presents,” the director said. “From youthful love at first sight to darker, grittier relationships, our show features every flavour of romance in a world that is like, yet unlike, our own.”
The cast features Surrey-based actors Jodie Aguinaldo and Kelly Zhou, along with Darren Bolognese (Maple Ridge), Julie Koebel (Langley), Sami Maia (Brasilia, Brazil/Burnaby) and Dalyn Rimar (Burnaby).
Colleen Maybin, the college’s Director of Performing and Fine Arts, is thankful for the dedication of students, faculty, staff and professional designers who have come together to stage this play.
“For many of the cast and crew, ‘Love/Sick’ will be their first opportunity to perform in front of a live audience in almost two years,” Maybin noted. “We’re incredibly proud of them and their commitment to their craft despite the barriers they’ve encountered along the way. This show explores the pain and the joy that comes with being in love, and I expect audiences will see something of themselves in the characters.”
“Love/Sick” will be staged in the Studio Theatre at Douglas College’s New Westminster campus on Nov. 9, 10, 12 and 13, at 7:30 p.m. nightly, plus two matinees (Nov. 10 at 12:30 p.m., Nov. 13 at 2 p.m.).
Tickets are available online at lovesickdc.eventbrite.ca, or at the door. In line with COVID-19 protocols, attendees will need to wear a mask as well as present both proof of vaccination and ID.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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