Gingy draws the dresses from her past and tells the story of her life through the clothes she wore.
“I have nothing to wear.”
Is there any of us who has not uttered those five words at one time or another while standing in a closet full of clothes? This line is one of the many memorable ones from Love, Loss, and What I Wore, a staged reading written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, based on the book by Ilene Beckerman. This wonderful show opened on Off Broadway in September 2009. Carol Gault and I visited a friend in New York City the following month and were privileged to see the original cast in the Westside Theatre production.
The show was amazing! We laughed out loud (a lot), feeling a kinship with the women and the stories they told. There were one-liners that we still hear, like voices in our head. “Who did I think I was when I bought this?” is one of mine. Carol says she hears “I just want to say, when you start wearing Eileen Fisher you might as well say, ‘I give up’. There is an entire monologue entitled I Hate My Purse saying right up front, “If you’re one of those women who think there’s something great about purses, don’t bother listening because I have nothing to say to you.”
This lively and lyrical staged reading takes the audience on a poignant journey through the days of our lives as women by way of girl scout uniforms, maternity clothes, a first bra, tutus, tantrums, divorces, marriages, and tattoos. From the voices of mothers who gave us all such sage advice as, “Go right upstairs and take that off,” to “You’d be so pretty if you just lost weight,” to “Your bra strap is showing. What do you mean it’s supposed to show?!?”
The play triggers memories—some good, some sad, some hilarious—in each of us about the way clothing has impacted our lives. Darlene Mazzone, Carol Gault, Lisa Humphrey, Gena Karnes, and Rachael Jaenichen, are the talented ensemble that will bring the stories to life at Market House Theatre on May 11 and 12, Mother’s Day weekend. Seating will be at tables, with dessert and coffee or tea included, making an intimate setting for a heart-to-heart conversation with the women who tell the often funny and sometimes reflective stories of love, loss, and what we all have worn.
Come with your mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, niece, girlfriend, BFF, or even the man in your life. They’re all sure to enjoy this performance of Love, Loss and What I Wore. For tickets or additional information contact Market House Theatre at 270.444.6828 or www.mhtplay.com
