Sumter Little Theatre ends the season with a nod to love, commonalities in relationships and the humor that gets us through

SUBMISSION BY SUMTER LITTLE THEATRE

Sumter Little Theatre concludes its 2023-24 season with the Tony-winning play “Love/Sick.”

“Love/Sick” begins Thursday, June 20, and focuses on a single moment in time and the complicated relationships that take place within it. These romantic and comedic vignettes convey much deeper messages that involve murder, infidelity and fear, moving through the show’s “Super Center” focus.

Bri Gray, director and long-time SLT veteran, has assembled a cast of SLT veterans and newcomers and embraces the dichotomy this brings to the stage – which reflects the story itself.

“There is a level of comfort and anxiety within the cast that I love to see reflected in their characters. Playing characters in close relationships is a great way to get your first taste of acting while honing your acting craft,” Gray said. “This cast has worked so diligently to become comfortable enough with one another to play roles full of intimacy and closeness in an authentic way. We can’t wait to share that with our audience.”

Gray hired an intimacy coach, MaryBeth Gorman Craig, to guide the cast through the play’s more fragile and connected scenes. Gorman Craig is a lecturer in USC’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Her work allowed the cast to understand stage consent and the trust required to perform authentic and real scenes of deep relationships.

A minimalist stage offers the audience the opportunity to focus solely on the characters. The set becomes white noise, much like any other “super store” in any city, no matter where. This allows the audience to see and feel that these scenes contain universal feelings and concerns of couples in relationships, regardless of the specific pairing. The show will depict both traditional and modern relationships through universal themes. Should I spend the rest of my life with this person? Will my fears scare them away? Have I done the things I want to do in my life? Do I want a family? Am I enough? All of the vignettes in “Love/Sick” remind people of self-reflection and communication as the key to finding true love in any situation.

The cast trusts each other and is committed to presenting a believable set of stories that are guaranteed to make us laugh, maybe even cry, and make us totally “get it.” It really is an entertaining show. It is simply presented, the emotions are real, and the acting is strong. You don’t want to miss it!
“Love/Sick” will be shown June 20-23 and June 27-30. Performances are Thursday-Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are available online at sumterlittletheatre.com or by phone at (803) 775-2150.