**** Recommended Love Song is a quirky little rom-com which I really enjoyed. My friend, Helen, wasn’t so sure. Remy Bumppo’s production about love in all its complexities can be seen at Theater Wit through April 21st. I love smaller theater spaces like Theater Wit’s because I can actually see the actors faces, catch the twinkle in an eye or a twitch of a cheek. There are just four actors in Love Song, which was directed by Marti Lyons, and they were all spot on! 4 Spotlights
Beane (Terry Bell) lives a minimal life in an apartment furnished with an armchair, a lamp, a table and 2 chairs. When he comes home one day, he surprises a burglar. Instead of getting out of there, Molly (Isa Arciniegas), the burglar, who is wearing his clothes, confronts him, ranting about the slim pickings. The fact that he only has one fork and one cup makes her crazy. After demanding his jacket, she takes it all and leaves.
By the way, Joe Schermoly’s set was interesting. Beane’s furniture sits in front of a bland, blank wall with a door in the middle. When that wall rolls off, a bright, light apartment with plenty of furniture and a huge window with a view is revealed.
Joan (Sara Coakley Price) stomps in the door, fuming about incompetence at the office. Her husband Harry (Ryan Hallahan) pours her a glass of wine, which she gulps down, then asks about her day. As they go back and forth, she admits that she fired an intern for losing a file, but really, she’s just surrounded by incompetents.
Beane doesn’t tell his sister that he was robbed, but he does tell her that he met someone. She’s delighted for him, because she’s been worried that he had no friends.
When Molly returns to Beane’s apartment, they find they have a lot in common – or do they? Is Molly really there?
Meanwhile, Joan and Harry decide they both need a sick day and call in. Harry is pretty good at sounding sick on the phone, Joan is not. They decide to stay in bed all day doing whatever comes naturally.
Remy Bumppo’s production of Love Song runs through April 21st at Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago. Parking is available in Theater Wit’s lot across the street (driveway next to Kobo Restaurant). $10 at the box office. Running time is 80 minutes, no intermission. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm with additional matinees Thursday, April 4th and Saturday, April 13th, both at 2:30 pm. Tickets range $10-$52. FYI (773) 975-8150 or RemyBumppo.org.
