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Love, Loss, and What I Wore

October 15, 2023

Love, Loss, and What I Wore is a play written by Nora and Delia Ephron based on the 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman. It is organized as a series of monologues and uses a rotating cast of five principal women. The subject matter of the monologues includes women's relationships and wardrobes and at times the interaction of the two, using the female wardrobe as a time capsule of a woman's life.

Love, Loss, and What I Wore
United States national tour artwork
Written byNora and Delia Ephron (playwrights)
Ilene Beckerman (material)
Characters5 women
Date premieredAugust 2, 2008
Place premieredBridgehampton Community House
Original languageEnglish
GenreMonologues
Official site

The show was initially presented as a part of the 2008 summer series at Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York, and then as a benefit series at the DR2 Theatre in New York in early 2009. Later the same year, the show was produced Off-Broadway as an ongoing commercial theatrical production at the Westside Theatre in New York, where it became the second-longest running show in the theatre's history. The production and its cast received positive critical attention. The production won the 2010 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience as well as the 2010 Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite New Off-Broadway Play.

The show has been produced on six continents and more than eight countries. It began a national tour in the United States in September 2011 in Chicago. It played an encore performance in Paris in January 2012.

Background and development Edit

Nora Ephron was a writer, director and producer best known for writing the screenplays of romantic comedy films. She received three Academy Award nominations for Original Screenplay, for Silkwood (1983), When Harry Met Sally... (1989) and Sleepless in Seattle (1993).[1]

She wrote five best-selling books[1] and the 2002 play Imaginary Friends, which fictionalized the antagonistic relationship between Lillian Hellman and Mary McCarthy. Ephron sometimes co-authored screenplays with her sister, writer-producer Delia Ephron, including You've Got Mail (1998), Hanging Up (2000), and Bewitched (2005).[2][3]

Nora Ephron wrote the introduction to Beckerman's eponymous 1995 book, which she immediately thought had dramatic possibilities.[4] She identified with the stories in Love, Loss, and What I Wore because the book "is not about fashion; it is about what clothes really are to us, those moments when we are constantly trying to find our identity through them."[4] Soon after its publication, Ephron gave the book to eight of her friends for Christmas. She became interested in writing her own version of the book.[4] Once she decided to adapt Love, Loss, and What I Wore into a play, she and her sister emailed 100 women for stories.[4]

The show's monologues were sourced largely from Beckerman's book.[5] The Ephrons wove together a collection of stories adapted from the book with recollections of friends, including Rosie O'Donnell.[6][7] One of the monologues that became a highlight of the original production was based on Nora Ephron's 2006 best-seller, I Feel Bad About My Neck.[8]

Plot Edit

A character called "Gingy" acts as the narrator.[7] The show opens with her sketching various parts of her wardrobe that stir the most poignant memories.[6] She weaves her life story among the other tales, describing her three marriages, "motherhood and the death of a child, each turning point marked by a particular item of clothing."[8] Her life is represented beginning with experiences in a Brownies uniform and extending through her full life.[9] Another character serves as the vixen, another plays a vulnerable gang member from Chicago, a third portrays a brave cancer patient, and the last serves as a mature woman pierced by vivid memories.[6] One character named Heather chooses conservative "think" shoes over high heels in her youth, but at a later stage in life shows a preference for high heels.[9] A gang member likes insignias that are prominent on sweaters and their creator.[9]

Among the 28 stories, other notable tales revolve around the influence of Madonna ("any American woman under 40 who says she's never dressed as Madonna is either lying or Amish"), dressing room anxiety ("I'm an 8. I've always been an 8"), and mothers' taste in clothes ("I don't understand, you could look so good if you tried").[7][9] Three of the characters sometimes work as a trio and all characters have monologues.[10]

The Los Angeles Times spent a full paragraph on a vignette about two high school prom dresses. The junior prom dress was a conservative powder blue gown to wear with a nerdy date. The senior prom dress was a sexy black mini dress that was befitting of her more desirable date. The dresses presented an identity crisis to one character: "Here's the thing – I've never really known for sure which of those two people I am – the girl who almost doesn't get asked to the prom at all or the girl who gets to go with the really cute guy. Every time I thought I knew which one I was, I turned out to be the other. Which is one reason I think I got married, to, like, end the confusion."[7]

The New York Times presented three stories that it felt were particularly emotional: the first about a woman who removed miniskirts from her college wardrobe after being raped, but continued wearing her favorite boots; another about wedding attire anxieties; and the third about the choice of adorning a newly reconstructed breast with a tattoo.[8] The same article also noted a humorous ode to black as a part of a wardrobe or in fact as a wardrobe, as one character notes: "Sometimes I buy something that isn't black, and I put it on and I am so sorry."[8]

Other stories include recollections about the dress purchased for the date with a guy who subsequently married someone else; the foibles of spandex bras that result in a look known as the monoboob; issues involving toe cleavage; the Juicy Couture tracksuit that is a prominent staple of California wardrobes; wardrobe choice on the wrong day of the month; and the story about an incarcerated lover and the strategic hole in a certain pair of pants.[7]

Production history Edit

Main article: Cast lists for Love, Loss, and What I Wore

Initial benefit productions Edit

Love, Loss, and What I Wore was first presented on August 2, 2008 at the Bridgehampton Community House as a benefit for the renovation of the John Drew Theatre/Guild Hall in East Hampton, New York.[11][12] The production, directed by Karen Lynn Carpenter, starred Linda Lavin, Karyn Quackenbush, Leslie Kritzer, Kathy Najimy, and Sara Chase. Then Daryl Roth produced the play in a Monday night series of benefit performances for 'Dress for Success', a charity organization that serves low-income women by enabling them to afford work clothing and providing job support,[5] again under the direction of Karen Lynn Carpenter.[13][14] The set of seven Monday night readings were presented from February 2 through March 9, 2009 at the Off-off-Broadway DR2 Theatre.[15] The first seven performances had seven different casts.[16] The first cast at DR2 Theatre was Marian Seldes, Joy Behar, Katie Finneran, Heather Burns and Lucy DeVito.[17][18][19] Other participants in the original readings included Tyne Daly (who created the narrator character, Gingy, for the New York Production),[8] Rosie O'Donnell, Samantha Bee, Rondi Reed, America Ferrera, Debi Mazar, Marlo Thomas, Blythe Danner, Christine Lahti, Parker Posey, Julie White, Kelly Bishop, Sarah Jones, Veanne Cox and Kristen Wiig.[13]

Off-Broadway Edit

 
 
Rosie O'Donnell (left in 2008) and Tyne Daly (right in 2009) were nominated for 2010 Drama League Awards for Distinguished Performance

The play was then performed Off-Broadway, beginning on September 21, 2009, with 3 consecutive runs each lasting 4 weeks and having an entirely new 5-person cast.[13]

The production officially opened on October 1, 2009 at the Westside Theatre.[8] The cast originally included Daly, O'Donnell, Bee, Katie Finneran and Natasha Lyonne. The rotating cast also included Mary Birdsong, Kristin Chenoweth, Lucy DeVito, Jane Lynch, Rhea Perlman, Mary Louise Wilson and Rita Wilson.[6] Chenoweth was replaced in the last of the initial three 4-week runs by Finneran.[20] The production benefited 'Dress for Success'. Karen Lynn Carpenter directed, with scenic design by Jo Winiarski, costume design by Jessica Jahn, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Walter Trarbach and make-up design by Maria Verel.[14] Daryl Roth was the producer and Alexander Fraser was the co-producer.[8] The production was staged with the five women seated, all dressed in black, at the lip of the stage, consulting scripts on music stands as needed.[7][8] Ilene Beckerman's original drawings were presented on placards, hung on clothes hangers on a clothes rack, stage right of the Gingy actress.

The production continued at the Westside Theatre with an open-ended commercial run with the casting strategy of rotating 4-week casts because it enabled the production to pursue higher-caliber actors. Nora Ephron stated at one question and answer session: "We keep re-casting it so we can get really great actresses to come for four weeks. It is really hard to get really good people to work Off-Broadway for six months because it does not pay much, but you can get them for four weeks."[4] Other well-known actresses who have performed in the Off-Broadway production include the following: Carol Kane, Debra Monk, Janeane Garofalo, Fran Drescher, Melissa Joan Hart, Brooke Shields, Victoria Clark, Alison Fraser, Tovah Feldshuh, Loretta Swit, Mary Testa, Nikki Blonsky, Donna McKechnie, B. Smith and Marla Maples.[21] As of October 2011, it was the second-longest running show in the history of Westside Theatre.[22]

The show won the 2010 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience as well as the 2010 Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite New Off-Broadway Play. Daly and O'Donnell were nominated for 2010 Drama League Awards for Distinguished Performance.[23] Tara Rubin, Merri Sugarman, Eric Woodall, and Lauran Schtuzel were nominated for the 2010 Casting Society of America Artios Awards for NY Off-Broadway Comedy/Musical Excellence in Casting.[23]

The show's 1,000th performance played on March 15, 2012.[24] The production closed on March 25, 2012 after 1,013 performances. Thirty-two rotating casts and 120 actresses participated in the production over its entire run. The final cast was Sierra Boggess, Joyce Van Patten, Karyn Quackenbush, Erica Watson and Ally Walker.[25]

 
 
 
The production officially opened on October 1, 2009 at the Westside Theatre (top); Later productions of the show included runs at the Geffen Playhouse (middle) and the Sydney Opera House (bottom)

US National Tour Edit

Carpenter directed a US national tour that began in Chicago in September 2011 with an engagement at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.[26]

Roth produced the Chicago production.[26] The Chicago cast included Nora Dunn, Felicia Fields, Roni Geva, Katie O'Brien and Barbara Robertson as Gingy.[27][28] Although the show was originally scheduled to run through October 23, 2011,[26] it was extended to December 4 before opening[29] and later extended again to January 1, 2012.[30] The post-Chicago national tour performances were set to be headlined by the December 7–30 Off-Broadway cast that included Daisy Eagan, Sonia Manzano and Loretta Swit.[30][31]

Other productions Edit

The play was next produced at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.[7] The Geffen production ran from May 12 through November 19, 2010,[32][33] breaking box office records.[22] The Geffen casts also rotated.

Actresses there included Daly, Kane, DeVito, Perlman, Nancy Travis,[34] Bonnie Franklin, Meredith Baxter, Florence Henderson, Marissa Jaret Winokur,[35] María Conchita Alonso, Christine Lahti,[36] Jenny O'Hara, Lauren Hutton,[37] Harriet Harris, Teri Garr, Mimi Rogers and Sally Struthers.[37] Most of the initial Geffen cast had performed in the Off-Broadway run.[9] At the Geffen Playhouse, the show was directed by Jenny Sullivan. Kane played "Gingy" when it debuted in Los Angeles.[7]

By the end of 2010, the play had been staged in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto and Buenos Aires, and numerous other productions around the world have run since then.[14][22] Carpenter directed the international production that has run in many countries.[14] The Toronto production ran from July 16 to October 2, 2010 at the Panasonic Theater.[38] The play was presented in Sydney from January 3 through January 30, 2011 at the Sydney Opera House with an opening cast of Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Judi Farr, Amanda Muggleton, Magda Szubanski and Mirrah Foulkes, under the direction of Wayne Harrison, with some minor modifications to localize some of the Americanisms.[39] In South Africa, the show was performed from April 8 through June 12, 2011 at Studio Theatre, Montecasino near Johannesburg and at the Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town from June 15 through July 2 under the direction of Moira Blumenthal.[40][41] It made its Asian premiere in Manila from July 14 through July 17, 2011 at RCBC Plaza with a cast that included Bituin Escalante; the production was directed by Michael Williams and Azanza-Dy.[42]

Themes Edit

The show, with a running time of about 90 minutes,[6] consists of 28 different stories that seek to illuminate the female identity.[9] Generally consisting of humorous incidents, the show often addresses sad, bitter or sentimental issues.[8][43] Beckerman's memoir takes as its departure the clothing worn at pivotal times of her life and serves as the play's. The Ephrons augmented this with a collection of similarly themed stories presented by four additional characters.[6][7]

The show is staged in an "unapologetically low-tech" manner,[7] using clothing as a metaphor for women's experiences.[6] In addition to clothing, accessories such as a purse are important, and Charles Isherwood of The New York Times noted that when Nora Ephron viewed a purse: "In the chaos of its interior she sees a symbol of herself, as in a dark mirror smudged with old lipstick and smelling of spilled perfume."[8] The show consists of five women's monologues about wardrobe malfunctions, puberty's relationship with personal wardrobe, first date outfits, lucky underwear, prom dresses, favorite boots, irreplaceable shirts, the detested, disorganized purse, and experiences in the dressing room. The recollections about the clothing prompt the women's memories about their mothers, boyfriends, husbands, ex-husbands, sisters and grandchildren.[6][7]

Critical reaction Edit

Broadway.com described the original benefit series as "intimate and starry".[44] New York Times reviewer Isherwood described the Off-Broadway play as a "show about matters of the heart and matters of the closet".[8] In Variety, Marilyn Stasio called it "a bittersweet meditation on the joys and tribulations of women's lives, reflected through the prism of their clothes."[6] In Bloomberg News, the critics commented that the playwrights were "literary alchemists expert at mixing the sentimental and the satirical and turning out something poignant" and noted that the clothing and accessories dominated the memories while the "men are extras."[45] The Los Angeles Times described the show as a cross between The Vagina Monologues and What Not to Wear.[7] Helen Shaw, writing for Time Out, also described the Ephrons' style as similar to The Vagina Monologues' Eve Ensler.[43] Jay Reiner of The Hollywood Reporter noted that from the work "a tapestry of the collective female psyche emerges that is tender and insightful without being sentimental."[9]

A highlight from Ephron's book that was consistently praised was O'Donnell's portrayal the purse in the scene "I Hate My Purse!".[8][9] While Reiner said, "There's an amusing 'I hate my purse' segment,"[9] Isherwood noted that the "smartest and shapeliest piece of writing in the show is that acerbic essay by Nora Ephron about her troublesome relationship with purses... Entrusted to Ms. O'Donnell, who does it proud, the essay is a defiant denunciation of the tyranny of the pocketbook, a 'j'accuse' for the era of the 'it' bag."[8] Shaw described O'Donnell's purse performance as an aria,[43] and Jerry Tallmer of The Villager called it "one of the pillars of the show."[16] This scene is sometimes performed alone outside of the theater.[46]

Isherwood has noted that this serves a female audience. "If there are chick flicks and chick lit – derogatory though some might find those terms to be – Love, Loss, and What I Wore should clearly be classified as chick legit... for the women who can share deeply in the particulars of experience dissected and discussed."[8] The Los Angeles Times notes the light nature of the subject matter: "... isn't out to reclaim female sexuality from centuries of oppression; it wittily celebrates wardrobe malfunctions..."[7] According to Reiner, the show points out that "... if there is one thing the females of the species have in common, it's a deep and abiding love/hate relationship with their wardrobe... this wonderfully witty show illustrates, what one wears to the party is sometimes more memorable than the party itself." He also notes that the entire performance has meaning as it is "jam-packed and resonant" throughout.[9] Shaw notes that "The cozy humor strikes many women's funnybones with a mighty whack, perhaps because it reaffirms so perfectly their own preoccupations."[43]

Certain monologues on subjects such as weight, status bags and high heels did not achieve their full potential according to The Los Angeles Times reviewer.[7] Time Out magazine described certain lines as oversalted, but forgivably so.[43]

Major awards and nominations Edit

 
Off-Broadway and Los Angeles production artwork

The original Off-Broadway production earned several recognitions:

Award Outcome
2010 Drama Desk Awards[47]
Unique Theatrical Experience Won
2010 Drama League Awards[48]
Distinguished Performance: Tyne Daly Nominated
Distinguished Performance: Rosie O'Donnell Nominated

At the November 2009 Casting Society of America Artios Awards, the Ephrons earned the New York Big Apple Award.[49]

Notes Edit

  1. ^ a b Brockes, Emma (March 3, 2007). "Everything is copy". The Guardian. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  2. ^ Hal Erickson (2011). . Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 6, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  3. ^ . Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2009. Archived from the original on October 5, 2009. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e Harrington, Douglas (December 21, 2009). "Nora Ephron Brings Laughs To Madison Avenue". Hamptons. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  5. ^ a b Lipton, Brian Scott (November 18, 2009). "Kristin Chenoweth to Delay Joining Love, Loss, and What I Wore Due to Illness". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i Stasio, Marilyn (October 1, 2009). "Love, Loss, and What I Wore". Variety. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Stoudt, Charlotte (May 14, 2010). "Theater review: 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore' at the Geffen Playhouse". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Isherwood, Charles (October 2, 2009). "Spandex Agonistes: Why Don't You Try It On?". The New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Reiner, Jay (October 15, 2010). "Love, Loss, and What I Wore – Theater Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  10. ^ MacDonald, Sandy (October 2, 2009). "Love, Loss, and What I Wore". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  11. ^ Gans, Andrew (July 17, 2008). . Playbill. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  12. ^ "Guild Hall Summer 2008 Tickets and Information". TheaterMania.com, Inc. 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  13. ^ a b c Hetrick, Adam (June 24, 2009). . Playbill. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  14. ^ a b c d Gans, Andrew and Adam Hetrick (December 23, 2010). . Playbill. Archived from the original on December 25, 2010. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  15. ^ "Love, Loss, and What I Wore". The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
  16. ^ a b Tallmer, Jerry (November 4, 2011). . The Villager. Archived from the original on August 5, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  17. ^ Gans, Andrew (February 2, 2009). . Playbill. Archived from the original on September 5, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  18. ^ Gans, Andrew (March 2, 2009). . Playbill. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  19. ^ Gans, Andrew (March 9, 2009). . Playbill. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  20. ^ Itkzoff, Dave (November 18, 2009). "Katie Finneran Will Fill In for Kristin Chenoweth in 'Love, Loss'". The New York Times. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  21. ^ . Love, Loss, and What I Wore. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
  22. ^ a b c "Love, Loss, and What I Wore". Broadwayworld.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  23. ^ a b . Internet Off-broadway database. Lucille Lortel Foundation. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  24. ^ "Love, Loss, and What I Wore Calls It a Wrap". Women Around Town. February 17, 2012. Archived from the original on February 9, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  25. ^ Hetrick, Adam (March 25, 2012). . Playbill.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2012.
  26. ^ a b c Hetrick, Adam (March 16, 2011). . Playbill. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  27. ^ Weiss, Hedy (September 19, 2011). "Great premise squandered in 'Love, Loss, and What I Wore'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  28. ^ Jones, Chris (September 20, 2011). "Trying on 'Love, Loss' for size at the Broadway Playhouse". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  29. ^ Bacalzo, Dan (August 30, 2011). "Taylor Miller, Loretta Swit to Join Chicago's Love, Loss, and What I Wore". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  30. ^ a b Propst, Andy (November 30, 2011). "Daisy Eagan, Loretta Swit, et al. Set for Off-Broadway's Love, Loss, and What I Wore Prior to National Tour". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  31. ^ Bacalzo, Dan (December 16, 2011). "Veanne Cox, Nancy Dussault, Lillias White Set for Love, Loss, and What I Wore". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved December 17, 2011.
  32. ^ "Love, Loss, and What I Wore". Geffen Playhouse. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  33. ^ "Love, Loss, and What I Wore Tickets and Information". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  34. ^ Propst, Andy (June 15, 2010). "Tyne Daly, Bonnie Franklin, Justina Machado, Rhea Perlman, et al. Now Set for Love, Loss and What I Wore at Geffen". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  35. ^ Bacalzo, Dan (July 30, 2010). "Meredith Baxter, Paula Christensen, Florence Henderson, Gina Torres, Marissa Jaret Winokur Set for Geffen's Love, Loss, and What I Wore". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  36. ^ Bacalzo, Dan (August 25, 2010). "Maria Conchita Alonso, Jami Gertz, Harriet Harris, Christine Lahti, Jenny O'Hara Set for LA Love, Loss, and What I Wore". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  37. ^ a b Bacalzo, Dan (October 19, 2010). "Teri Garr, Sandra Tsing Loh, Marianna Palka, Mimi Rogers, Sally Struthers to Be Final Love, Loss and What I Wore Cast at Geffen Playhouse". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  38. ^ "Love, Loss, and What I Wore Tickets and Information". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  39. ^ Simmonds, Diana (January 6, 2011). "Love, Loss, and What I Wore". stagenoise.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2012. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  40. ^ "Love, Loss and What I Wore". Expresso. June 20, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  41. ^ "Love, Loss and What I Wore". Artslink.co.za. March 7, 2011. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  42. ^ Santos, Aileen (14 July 2011). "Asian Premiere of "Love, Loss, and What I Wore"Runs at the RCBC Plaza Until July 17". wheninmanila.com. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
  43. ^ a b c d e Shaw, Helen (October 5, 2009). "Love, Loss and What I Wore". Time Out. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  44. ^ "Love, Loss, and What I Wore to Play Off-Broadway's Westside Theatre". Broadway.com. June 24, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  45. ^ John Simon and Jeremy Gerard (October 3, 2009). "Letts's 'Donuts' Is Splendid; Ephrons Cast Spell: N.Y. Theater". Bloomberg News. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  46. ^ Bacalzo, Dan (April 29, 2010). "Joanna Gleason, Jill Zarin Set for New York Bag Ladies Luncheon". TheaterMania.com, Inc. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
  47. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 3, 2010). . Playbill. Archived from the original on May 6, 2010. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  48. ^ Gans, Andrew (May 21, 2010). . Playbill. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  49. ^ "2009 Casting Society Of America's ARTIOS Award Winners Announced". Hamptons. November 9, 2009. Retrieved August 12, 2011.

External links Edit

October 15, 2023
love, loss, what, wore, play, written, nora, delia, ephron, based, 1995, book, same, name, ilene, beckerman, organized, series, monologues, uses, rotating, cast, five, principal, women, subject, matter, monologues, includes, women, relationships, wardrobes, ti. Love Loss and What I Wore is a play written by Nora and Delia Ephron based on the 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman It is organized as a series of monologues and uses a rotating cast of five principal women The subject matter of the monologues includes women s relationships and wardrobes and at times the interaction of the two using the female wardrobe as a time capsule of a woman s life Love Loss and What I WoreUnited States national tour artworkWritten byNora and Delia Ephron playwrights Ilene Beckerman material Characters5 womenDate premieredAugust 2 2008Place premieredBridgehampton Community HouseOriginal languageEnglishGenreMonologuesOfficial siteThe show was initially presented as a part of the 2008 summer series at Guild Hall in East Hampton New York and then as a benefit series at the DR2 Theatre in New York in early 2009 Later the same year the show was produced Off Broadway as an ongoing commercial theatrical production at the Westside Theatre in New York where it became the second longest running show in the theatre s history The production and its cast received positive critical attention The production won the 2010 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience as well as the 2010 Broadway com Audience Award for Favorite New Off Broadway Play The show has been produced on six continents and more than eight countries It began a national tour in the United States in September 2011 in Chicago It played an encore performance in Paris in January 2012 Contents 1 Background and development 2 Plot 3 Production history 3 1 Initial benefit productions 3 2 Off Broadway 3 3 US National Tour 3 4 Other productions 4 Themes 5 Critical reaction 5 1 Major awards and nominations 6 Notes 7 External linksBackground and development EditNora Ephron was a writer director and producer best known for writing the screenplays of romantic comedy films She received three Academy Award nominations for Original Screenplay for Silkwood 1983 When Harry Met Sally 1989 and Sleepless in Seattle 1993 1 She wrote five best selling books 1 and the 2002 play Imaginary Friends which fictionalized the antagonistic relationship between Lillian Hellman and Mary McCarthy Ephron sometimes co authored screenplays with her sister writer producer Delia Ephron including You ve Got Mail 1998 Hanging Up 2000 and Bewitched 2005 2 3 Nora Ephron wrote the introduction to Beckerman s eponymous 1995 book which she immediately thought had dramatic possibilities 4 She identified with the stories in Love Loss and What I Wore because the book is not about fashion it is about what clothes really are to us those moments when we are constantly trying to find our identity through them 4 Soon after its publication Ephron gave the book to eight of her friends for Christmas She became interested in writing her own version of the book 4 Once she decided to adapt Love Loss and What I Wore into a play she and her sister emailed 100 women for stories 4 The show s monologues were sourced largely from Beckerman s book 5 The Ephrons wove together a collection of stories adapted from the book with recollections of friends including Rosie O Donnell 6 7 One of the monologues that became a highlight of the original production was based on Nora Ephron s 2006 best seller I Feel Bad About My Neck 8 Plot EditA character called Gingy acts as the narrator 7 The show opens with her sketching various parts of her wardrobe that stir the most poignant memories 6 She weaves her life story among the other tales describing her three marriages motherhood and the death of a child each turning point marked by a particular item of clothing 8 Her life is represented beginning with experiences in a Brownies uniform and extending through her full life 9 Another character serves as the vixen another plays a vulnerable gang member from Chicago a third portrays a brave cancer patient and the last serves as a mature woman pierced by vivid memories 6 One character named Heather chooses conservative think shoes over high heels in her youth but at a later stage in life shows a preference for high heels 9 A gang member likes insignias that are prominent on sweaters and their creator 9 Among the 28 stories other notable tales revolve around the influence of Madonna any American woman under 40 who says she s never dressed as Madonna is either lying or Amish dressing room anxiety I m an 8 I ve always been an 8 and mothers taste in clothes I don t understand you could look so good if you tried 7 9 Three of the characters sometimes work as a trio and all characters have monologues 10 The Los Angeles Times spent a full paragraph on a vignette about two high school prom dresses The junior prom dress was a conservative powder blue gown to wear with a nerdy date The senior prom dress was a sexy black mini dress that was befitting of her more desirable date The dresses presented an identity crisis to one character Here s the thing I ve never really known for sure which of those two people I am the girl who almost doesn t get asked to the prom at all or the girl who gets to go with the really cute guy Every time I thought I knew which one I was I turned out to be the other Which is one reason I think I got married to like end the confusion 7 The New York Times presented three stories that it felt were particularly emotional the first about a woman who removed miniskirts from her college wardrobe after being raped but continued wearing her favorite boots another about wedding attire anxieties and the third about the choice of adorning a newly reconstructed breast with a tattoo 8 The same article also noted a humorous ode to black as a part of a wardrobe or in fact as a wardrobe as one character notes Sometimes I buy something that isn t black and I put it on and I am so sorry 8 Other stories include recollections about the dress purchased for the date with a guy who subsequently married someone else the foibles of spandex bras that result in a look known as the monoboob issues involving toe cleavage the Juicy Couture tracksuit that is a prominent staple of California wardrobes wardrobe choice on the wrong day of the month and the story about an incarcerated lover and the strategic hole in a certain pair of pants 7 Production history EditMain article Cast lists for Love Loss and What I Wore Initial benefit productions Edit Love Loss and What I Wore was first presented on August 2 2008 at the Bridgehampton Community House as a benefit for the renovation of the John Drew Theatre Guild Hall in East Hampton New York 11 12 The production directed by Karen Lynn Carpenter starred Linda Lavin Karyn Quackenbush Leslie Kritzer Kathy Najimy and Sara Chase Then Daryl Roth produced the play in a Monday night series of benefit performances for Dress for Success a charity organization that serves low income women by enabling them to afford work clothing and providing job support 5 again under the direction of Karen Lynn Carpenter 13 14 The set of seven Monday night readings were presented from February 2 through March 9 2009 at the Off off Broadway DR2 Theatre 15 The first seven performances had seven different casts 16 The first cast at DR2 Theatre was Marian Seldes Joy Behar Katie Finneran Heather Burns and Lucy DeVito 17 18 19 Other participants in the original readings included Tyne Daly who created the narrator character Gingy for the New York Production 8 Rosie O Donnell Samantha Bee Rondi Reed America Ferrera Debi Mazar Marlo Thomas Blythe Danner Christine Lahti Parker Posey Julie White Kelly Bishop Sarah Jones Veanne Cox and Kristen Wiig 13 Off Broadway Edit nbsp nbsp Rosie O Donnell left in 2008 and Tyne Daly right in 2009 were nominated for 2010 Drama League Awards for Distinguished Performance The play was then performed Off Broadway beginning on September 21 2009 with 3 consecutive runs each lasting 4 weeks and having an entirely new 5 person cast 13 The production officially opened on October 1 2009 at the Westside Theatre 8 The cast originally included Daly O Donnell Bee Katie Finneran and Natasha Lyonne The rotating cast also included Mary Birdsong Kristin Chenoweth Lucy DeVito Jane Lynch Rhea Perlman Mary Louise Wilson and Rita Wilson 6 Chenoweth was replaced in the last of the initial three 4 week runs by Finneran 20 The production benefited Dress for Success Karen Lynn Carpenter directed with scenic design by Jo Winiarski costume design by Jessica Jahn lighting design by Jeff Croiter sound design by Walter Trarbach and make up design by Maria Verel 14 Daryl Roth was the producer and Alexander Fraser was the co producer 8 The production was staged with the five women seated all dressed in black at the lip of the stage consulting scripts on music stands as needed 7 8 Ilene Beckerman s original drawings were presented on placards hung on clothes hangers on a clothes rack stage right of the Gingy actress The production continued at the Westside Theatre with an open ended commercial run with the casting strategy of rotating 4 week casts because it enabled the production to pursue higher caliber actors Nora Ephron stated at one question and answer session We keep re casting it so we can get really great actresses to come for four weeks It is really hard to get really good people to work Off Broadway for six months because it does not pay much but you can get them for four weeks 4 Other well known actresses who have performed in the Off Broadway production include the following Carol Kane Debra Monk Janeane Garofalo Fran Drescher Melissa Joan Hart Brooke Shields Victoria Clark Alison Fraser Tovah Feldshuh Loretta Swit Mary Testa Nikki Blonsky Donna McKechnie B Smith and Marla Maples 21 As of October 2011 update it was the second longest running show in the history of Westside Theatre 22 The show won the 2010 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience as well as the 2010 Broadway com Audience Award for Favorite New Off Broadway Play Daly and O Donnell were nominated for 2010 Drama League Awards for Distinguished Performance 23 Tara Rubin Merri Sugarman Eric Woodall and Lauran Schtuzel were nominated for the 2010 Casting Society of America Artios Awards for NY Off Broadway Comedy Musical Excellence in Casting 23 The show s 1 000th performance played on March 15 2012 24 The production closed on March 25 2012 after 1 013 performances Thirty two rotating casts and 120 actresses participated in the production over its entire run The final cast was Sierra Boggess Joyce Van Patten Karyn Quackenbush Erica Watson and Ally Walker 25 nbsp nbsp nbsp The production officially opened on October 1 2009 at the Westside Theatre top Later productions of the show included runs at the Geffen Playhouse middle and the Sydney Opera House bottom US National Tour Edit Carpenter directed a US national tour that began in Chicago in September 2011 with an engagement at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place 26 Roth produced the Chicago production 26 The Chicago cast included Nora Dunn Felicia Fields Roni Geva Katie O Brien and Barbara Robertson as Gingy 27 28 Although the show was originally scheduled to run through October 23 2011 26 it was extended to December 4 before opening 29 and later extended again to January 1 2012 30 The post Chicago national tour performances were set to be headlined by the December 7 30 Off Broadway cast that included Daisy Eagan Sonia Manzano and Loretta Swit 30 31 Other productions Edit The play was next produced at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles 7 The Geffen production ran from May 12 through November 19 2010 32 33 breaking box office records 22 The Geffen casts also rotated Actresses there included Daly Kane DeVito Perlman Nancy Travis 34 Bonnie Franklin Meredith Baxter Florence Henderson Marissa Jaret Winokur 35 Maria Conchita Alonso Christine Lahti 36 Jenny O Hara Lauren Hutton 37 Harriet Harris Teri Garr Mimi Rogers and Sally Struthers 37 Most of the initial Geffen cast had performed in the Off Broadway run 9 At the Geffen Playhouse the show was directed by Jenny Sullivan Kane played Gingy when it debuted in Los Angeles 7 By the end of 2010 the play had been staged in New York Los Angeles Toronto and Buenos Aires and numerous other productions around the world have run since then 14 22 Carpenter directed the international production that has run in many countries 14 The Toronto production ran from July 16 to October 2 2010 at the Panasonic Theater 38 The play was presented in Sydney from January 3 through January 30 2011 at the Sydney Opera House with an opening cast of Natalie Bassingthwaighte Judi Farr Amanda Muggleton Magda Szubanski and Mirrah Foulkes under the direction of Wayne Harrison with some minor modifications to localize some of the Americanisms 39 In South Africa the show was performed from April 8 through June 12 2011 at Studio Theatre Montecasino near Johannesburg and at the Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town from June 15 through July 2 under the direction of Moira Blumenthal 40 41 It made its Asian premiere in Manila from July 14 through July 17 2011 at RCBC Plaza with a cast that included Bituin Escalante the production was directed by Michael Williams and Azanza Dy 42 Themes EditThe show with a running time of about 90 minutes 6 consists of 28 different stories that seek to illuminate the female identity 9 Generally consisting of humorous incidents the show often addresses sad bitter or sentimental issues 8 43 Beckerman s memoir takes as its departure the clothing worn at pivotal times of her life and serves as the play s The Ephrons augmented this with a collection of similarly themed stories presented by four additional characters 6 7 The show is staged in an unapologetically low tech manner 7 using clothing as a metaphor for women s experiences 6 In addition to clothing accessories such as a purse are important and Charles Isherwood of The New York Times noted that when Nora Ephron viewed a purse In the chaos of its interior she sees a symbol of herself as in a dark mirror smudged with old lipstick and smelling of spilled perfume 8 The show consists of five women s monologues about wardrobe malfunctions puberty s relationship with personal wardrobe first date outfits lucky underwear prom dresses favorite boots irreplaceable shirts the detested disorganized purse and experiences in the dressing room The recollections about the clothing prompt the women s memories about their mothers boyfriends husbands ex husbands sisters and grandchildren 6 7 Critical reaction EditBroadway com described the original benefit series as intimate and starry 44 New York Times reviewer Isherwood described the Off Broadway play as a show about matters of the heart and matters of the closet 8 In Variety Marilyn Stasio called it a bittersweet meditation on the joys and tribulations of women s lives reflected through the prism of their clothes 6 In Bloomberg News the critics commented that the playwrights were literary alchemists expert at mixing the sentimental and the satirical and turning out something poignant and noted that the clothing and accessories dominated the memories while the men are extras 45 The Los Angeles Times described the show as a cross between The Vagina Monologues and What Not to Wear 7 Helen Shaw writing for Time Out also described the Ephrons style as similar to The Vagina Monologues Eve Ensler 43 Jay Reiner of The Hollywood Reporter noted that from the work a tapestry of the collective female psyche emerges that is tender and insightful without being sentimental 9 A highlight from Ephron s book that was consistently praised was O Donnell s portrayal the purse in the scene I Hate My Purse 8 9 While Reiner said There s an amusing I hate my purse segment 9 Isherwood noted that the smartest and shapeliest piece of writing in the show is that acerbic essay by Nora Ephron about her troublesome relationship with purses Entrusted to Ms O Donnell who does it proud the essay is a defiant denunciation of the tyranny of the pocketbook a j accuse for the era of the it bag 8 Shaw described O Donnell s purse performance as an aria 43 and Jerry Tallmer of The Villager called it one of the pillars of the show 16 This scene is sometimes performed alone outside of the theater 46 Isherwood has noted that this serves a female audience If there are chick flicks and chick lit derogatory though some might find those terms to be Love Loss and What I Wore should clearly be classified as chick legit for the women who can share deeply in the particulars of experience dissected and discussed 8 The Los Angeles Times notes the light nature of the subject matter isn t out to reclaim female sexuality from centuries of oppression it wittily celebrates wardrobe malfunctions 7 According to Reiner the show points out that if there is one thing the females of the species have in common it s a deep and abiding love hate relationship with their wardrobe this wonderfully witty show illustrates what one wears to the party is sometimes more memorable than the party itself He also notes that the entire performance has meaning as it is jam packed and resonant throughout 9 Shaw notes that The cozy humor strikes many women s funnybones with a mighty whack perhaps because it reaffirms so perfectly their own preoccupations 43 Certain monologues on subjects such as weight status bags and high heels did not achieve their full potential according to The Los Angeles Times reviewer 7 Time Out magazine described certain lines as oversalted but forgivably so 43 Major awards and nominations Edit nbsp Off Broadway and Los Angeles production artworkThe original Off Broadway production earned several recognitions Award Outcome2010 Drama Desk Awards 47 Unique Theatrical Experience Won2010 Drama League Awards 48 Distinguished Performance Tyne Daly NominatedDistinguished Performance Rosie O Donnell NominatedAt the November 2009 Casting Society of America Artios Awards the Ephrons earned the New York Big Apple Award 49 Notes Edit a b Brockes Emma March 3 2007 Everything is copy The Guardian Retrieved August 13 2011 Hal Erickson 2011 Nora Ephron Movies amp TV Dept The New York Times Archived from the original on March 6 2011 Retrieved October 23 2011 Delia Ephron Movies amp TV Dept The New York Times 2009 Archived from the original on October 5 2009 Retrieved October 23 2011 a b c d e Harrington Douglas December 21 2009 Nora Ephron Brings Laughs To Madison Avenue Hamptons Retrieved August 12 2011 a b Lipton Brian Scott November 18 2009 Kristin Chenoweth to Delay Joining Love Loss and What I Wore Due to Illness TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved April 21 2011 a b c d e f g h i Stasio Marilyn October 1 2009 Love Loss and What I Wore Variety Retrieved April 21 2011 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Stoudt Charlotte May 14 2010 Theater review Love Loss and What I Wore at the Geffen Playhouse Los Angeles Times Retrieved April 21 2011 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Isherwood Charles October 2 2009 Spandex Agonistes Why Don t You Try It On The New York Times Retrieved April 21 2011 a b c d e f g h i j Reiner Jay October 15 2010 Love Loss and What I Wore Theater Review The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved April 21 2011 MacDonald Sandy October 2 2009 Love Loss and What I Wore TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved August 20 2011 Gans Andrew July 17 2008 Lavin and Najimy to Star in Reading of Nora and Delia Ephron s Love Loss and What I Wore Playbill Archived from the original on October 21 2012 Retrieved August 12 2011 Guild Hall Summer 2008 Tickets and Information TheaterMania com Inc 2008 Retrieved August 12 2011 a b c Hetrick Adam June 24 2009 Chenoweth Daly O Donnell Wilson and More Set for Love Loss and What I Wore Off Broadway Playbill Archived from the original on October 20 2012 Retrieved April 21 2011 a b c d Gans Andrew and Adam Hetrick December 23 2010 Love Loss and What I Wore to Play Australia France Brazil Mexico Playbill Archived from the original on December 25 2010 Retrieved July 16 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore The New York Times Retrieved August 21 2011 a b Tallmer Jerry November 4 2011 Universal truths yield weirdly interactive work Sisterly collaboration combines book content e mail recollections The Villager Archived from the original on August 5 2012 Retrieved August 12 2011 Gans Andrew February 2 2009 Love Loss and What I Wore Reading with Seldes Behar Finneran Presented Feb 2 Playbill Archived from the original on September 5 2010 Retrieved August 12 2011 Gans Andrew March 2 2009 Love Loss and What I Wore Reading with Danner Baranski White Posey Presented March 2 Playbill Archived from the original on October 21 2012 Retrieved August 12 2011 Gans Andrew March 9 2009 Love Loss and What I Wore Reading with Bishop Essman Wiig Jones Presented March 9 Playbill Archived from the original on October 21 2012 Retrieved August 12 2011 Itkzoff Dave November 18 2009 Katie Finneran Will Fill In for Kristin Chenoweth in Love Loss The New York Times Retrieved April 21 2011 Cast Schedule Love Loss and What I Wore Archived from the original on August 7 2011 Retrieved August 5 2011 a b c Love Loss and What I Wore Broadwayworld com Archived from the original on January 18 2013 Retrieved June 27 2012 a b Love Loss and What I Wore Internet Off broadway database Lucille Lortel Foundation Archived from the original on July 29 2012 Retrieved July 15 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore Calls It a Wrap Women Around Town February 17 2012 Archived from the original on February 9 2013 Retrieved March 1 2012 Hetrick Adam March 25 2012 Love Loss and What I Wore Folds Its Tale Off Broadway March 25 Playbill com Archived from the original on March 26 2012 Retrieved June 27 2012 a b c Hetrick Adam March 16 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore Will Launch Tour in Chicago Playbill Archived from the original on October 20 2012 Retrieved April 21 2011 Weiss Hedy September 19 2011 Great premise squandered in Love Loss and What I Wore Chicago Sun Times Retrieved September 23 2011 Jones Chris September 20 2011 Trying on Love Loss for size at the Broadway Playhouse Chicago Tribune Retrieved September 23 2011 Bacalzo Dan August 30 2011 Taylor Miller Loretta Swit to Join Chicago s Love Loss and What I Wore TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved September 23 2011 a b Propst Andy November 30 2011 Daisy Eagan Loretta Swit et al Set for Off Broadway s Love Loss and What I Wore Prior to National Tour TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved December 17 2011 Bacalzo Dan December 16 2011 Veanne Cox Nancy Dussault Lillias White Set for Love Loss and What I Wore TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved December 17 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore Geffen Playhouse Retrieved April 21 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore Tickets and Information TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved August 20 2011 Propst Andy June 15 2010 Tyne Daly Bonnie Franklin Justina Machado Rhea Perlman et al Now Set for Love Loss and What I Wore at Geffen TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved August 20 2011 Bacalzo Dan July 30 2010 Meredith Baxter Paula Christensen Florence Henderson Gina Torres Marissa Jaret Winokur Set for Geffen s Love Loss and What I Wore TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved August 20 2011 Bacalzo Dan August 25 2010 Maria Conchita Alonso Jami Gertz Harriet Harris Christine Lahti Jenny O Hara Set for LA Love Loss and What I Wore TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved August 20 2011 a b Bacalzo Dan October 19 2010 Teri Garr Sandra Tsing Loh Marianna Palka Mimi Rogers Sally Struthers to Be Final Love Loss and What I Wore Cast at Geffen Playhouse TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved August 20 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore Tickets and Information TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved August 20 2011 Simmonds Diana January 6 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore stagenoise com Archived from the original on September 11 2012 Retrieved October 23 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore Expresso June 20 2011 Retrieved October 23 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore Artslink co za March 7 2011 Retrieved October 23 2011 Santos Aileen 14 July 2011 Asian Premiere of Love Loss and What I Wore Runs at the RCBC Plaza Until July 17 wheninmanila com Retrieved October 23 2011 a b c d e Shaw Helen October 5 2009 Love Loss and What I Wore Time Out Retrieved April 21 2011 Love Loss and What I Wore to Play Off Broadway s Westside Theatre Broadway com June 24 2009 Retrieved August 12 2011 John Simon and Jeremy Gerard October 3 2009 Letts s Donuts Is Splendid Ephrons Cast Spell N Y Theater Bloomberg News Retrieved April 21 2011 Bacalzo Dan April 29 2010 Joanna Gleason Jill Zarin Set for New York Bag Ladies Luncheon TheaterMania com Inc Retrieved August 20 2011 Gans Andrew May 3 2010 Drama Desk Award Nominations Announced Ragtime and Scottsboro Top List Playbill Archived from the original on May 6 2010 Retrieved June 13 2011 Gans Andrew May 21 2010 Sondheim Red Bridge La Cage and Molina Win Drama League Awards Playbill Archived from the original on July 26 2010 Retrieved June 13 2011 2009 Casting Society Of America s ARTIOS Award Winners Announced Hamptons November 9 2009 Retrieved August 12 2011 External links Editnational tour website Love Loss and What I Wore at the Internet Off Broadway Database nbsp CBS news video search results permanent dead link at TheaterMania com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Love Loss and What I Wore amp oldid 1171878511, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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