Love is a complicated affair full of many contradictions. It can be magnificent or torrid, sublime or bittersweet, mutual or one-sided.
All of love’s forms take center stage in Lamplighters Community Theatre’s wonderfully acted production of John Cariani’s “Love/Sick.”
Consisting of nine different vignettes, “Love/Sick” is a humorous and oftentimes twisted look at the ways love weaves itself into our lives.
Particular standout scenes include “Obsessive Impulsive,” the absurd opener of the play, which sees two young strangers (Andrew Dean Pearson and Whitney Wegman) suffering from a lack of inhibition, falling madly in love while grocery shopping; “Lunch and Dinner,” where a married woman (Cristyn Chandler) tells her husband (Steve Murdock) about her day and the rather unusual item on the menu at her company luncheon; and “Uh-Oh,” in which a woman (Wegman) grows bored with her marriage to her husband and goes to drastic lengths to put some pep back into their step.
Praise must also be given to the play for including two vignettes featuring LGBTQ characters. In “What?!?” a gay man (Andre Urbano) professes his love for his new boyfriend (Omar Ramos), who reacts in an unexpected way due to an odd coping mechanism he has. In “Where Was I?” a lesbian couple (Chandler and Carla Navarro) come to terms with the fact that they are not the people they used to be.
The entire cast is pitch perfect. Chandler, in particular, is amazing, showing her range in three very different roles. From a hyper and overzealous woman receiving a special gift from her boyfriend on the eve of a date in “The Singing Telegram,” to the melancholy woman who feels lost in “Where Was I?” Chandler proves that she can play it all.
Another standout is Morgan McGuire, whose beard is formidable enough to have its own acting career. His comedic timing is on point and every second he is on stage he steals the show. Further standouts include the quirky Wegman, the stoic Navarro, and the entertaining Steve Murdock.
Hilarious, amusing and heartfelt, “Love/Sick” is a great exploration of the mysteries of love and it seems like Lamplighters have a hit on their hands.
The production is running from July 6 to Aug. 5. Check lamplighterslamesa.com for showtimes.
