Eight mini-plays about failed love debut at Point Loma Playhouse

There is a lot more going into a play behind the scenes than most people imagine before the curtain ever rises.

Such is the case with “Love/Sick,” a comedy being performed Nov. 18- Dec. 4 by Point Loma Playhouse at Point Loma Assembly, 3035 Talbot St.

Director David Sein noted the series of eight mini-plays by John Cariani was a “big hit” initially in Maine, and has played worldwide.

“It is about lovers and dreamers, so just about anyone can relate when they see the short plays,” he said. “It’s an unromantic comedy for the romantic in everyone. There’s a lot of humor in when you romance and it does not work out.”

Sein has been directing the 14-member cast including seven actors, a stage manager, a light and sound operator and a set designer as well as a production manager and a costume person. The crew has been rehearsing for six weeks prior to the play’s Nov. 18 debut.

“Some or most of them (actors) are in more than one play, two of them are in three plays which we call double casting,” noted Sein. “The actors find it very interesting – and challenging – to be able to change their characters in the same night playing different scenes.”

Actress Kara Tuckfield plays two parts in “Love/Sick.” “They are similar, have lots of commonalities, though not the same,” she said. “What makes it fun is you take this one character, and see if it ties-in with your second character.”

Tuckfield noted “everyone has been wonderful to work with” in “Love/Sick.” She admitted memorizing lines in plays playing multiple characters “can be a bit of challenge.” But, she added, “You’re having conversations with other characters who are reacting to you, and you’re listening and reacting to them. If you’re having trouble, the other actor helps you figure it out and get back on track.”

Few in a play production are more behind the scenes than the light/sound operator. The show would not go on without the lights – or the sound. In Love/Sick’s case, it is Joella Wu-Cardona, a theater minor in school, who is handling the play’s lighting and sound effects using a laptop computer. “You learn the system, the keys you need to press,” she said. “As long as you’re paying attention to the show, it’s honestly not as difficult as people make it out to be.”

Wu-Cardona said “Love/Sick” is a pretty straightforward production. “There is nothing fancy,” she said. “You just have to transition the music between scenes. We have one set of lights for each scene that goes on and off. I do have a copy of the script that I write my cues on.”

Discussing his role as director, Sein said he carefully reads the play “a number of times” to get a real feel for the story and analyze the characters. “Then you break the play down into many parts for rehearsal purposes,” he added.

Sein revealed his secret to directing. “Ninety percent of it is great casting and good actors,” he confided. “If they fit, it makes your job much easier. Then the director does all the blocking: where the characters stand, where they move to. You also help design the lights, the sound, the set, and the costume props.”

Of the successful outcome of any given play, Sein concluded: “It’s a team effort.”

POINT LOMA PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTION

“LOVE/SICK” by John Cariani, directed by David Sein, opens Friday, Nov. 18 and runs through Dec. 4 – Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. at Point Loma Assembly, 3035 Talbot St.

The show is a collection of eight slightly twisted and completely hilarious short plays. Set on a Friday night in an alternate suburban reality, this 80-minute romp explores the pain and the joy that comes with being in love.

The show stars Kim Breslin, Gunnar Ramstrum, Walter Ruskin, Carly Salway, Kathryn Schellinger, Kara Tuckfield, and Tyler VanCamp.

All seats are $20.

Visit pointlomaplayhouse.com for more information.

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