In the 1990s, sisters Nora and Delia Ephron were tastemakers for young women's entertainment, from novels and plays to articles and movies. Their films created the classic rom-com canon of today — the duo most famously collaborated on “You’ve Got Mail,” starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
Another of their joint projects is the play “Love, Loss, & What I Wore,” based on the 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman. It’s a series of monologues that traditionally uses a cast of five women to play several roles through the 90-minute run, centering on the female wardrobe as a lynchpin for a woman’s life. (The sisters asked nearly 100 women to contribute their stories about clothing and identity.)
The play, directed by Karin Bowersock, is currently running at JCC CenterStage through December 10. It features a cast of seven local women (Jodi Beckwith, Connie Neer, Cynthia Brito, Katherine Mary Chalone, Adryanna Elmendorf, Stephanie Roosa, and Tracey Atkins Ulterino) as well as a talkback following each show and a pre-show vendor exhibit in the lobby. All the vendors are women-owned businesses; while the talkbacks feature women in the local fashion industry facilitating post-show discussion about the role of clothing in their lives. It’s a feel-good community addition to the experience.
There’s a lot going on very quickly — multiple storylines and asides, scene changes, music changes — and sometimes the show feels like leaving the TV on and coming back into the room unsure what’s happened in the last few minutes. But the cast is adept at keeping things moving as well as switching in and out of character. They’re also cast into their respective roles quite well. It does seem as though the JCC (and other area theaters, to be fair) stick with a rotating cast of the same local actors, but this all-female cast works together beautifully as an ensemble, no one upstaging or outshining. The range of ages, body types and ethnicity also creates a welcome, inclusive experience.
The scenic design by David Daniels is perhaps the most off-putting part of the aesthetic, as it looks like a cartoon set with overstated, balloon-like brick and window details on a building facade. The juxtaposition of the set to the oft-serious monologues, the clothesline of mid-century costume sketches, and stark, all-black costume bases worn by the cast is lost. Another odd moment comes during the purse monologue by Stephanie Roosa, which, while performed with zest, completely breaks the fourth wall in a way that even mentions producer Ralph Meranto and feels much more like inside baseball than a professional production.
Ultimately, the script itself nearly tanks the show, as it’s simply outdated. Even with a scene about two brides grappling with family acceptance of their wedding, the vignettes throughout the show include very little about modern life (made even more confusing when the costume design by Cathy Johnson leans modern). At this point, “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” feels more like a time capsule or a piece of NYC history than a fresh, relatable piece of theater. It’s the “Sex and the City” conundrum; how would (or should) the emergence of the internet completely change the stories of a show like this? And sure, there’s the enduring thread of clothing as a marker in one’s identity or personal journey, but it’s not enough to save this show from sorely needing an updated adaptation.
The show runs through December 10 at JCC CenterStage; tickets and more info here.
Leah Stacy is the editor of CITY.