BERKELEY HEIGHTS – On the weekends of Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, Berkeley Light Opera Company will present Love, Loss, and What I Wore by Nora and Delia Ephron (based on the book by Ilene Beckerman).
This witty and touching play about “matters of the heart and matters of the closet”, uses clothing, accessories, and the memories they trigger to tell funny and often poignant stories that every woman can relate to. The play will be directed by Vincent J. Balzano and will feature Lori Ahrens, Leonie Higgins, Stephanie Long, Danielle Marchand, Karen O’Donnell and Lori Roper.
Premiered in 2008, Love, Loss, and What I Wore received critical acclaim for its honest, and often humorous, portrayal of what it is like to be a woman. The play went on to run 1,013 performances Off-Broadway with a rotation of cast members including actresses such as Rosie O’Donnell, Jane Lynch, Kristin Chenoweth, Debra Monk, and Donna McKecknie. Structured as a series of monologues, the characters share a wide range of experiences from childhood memories to marriage and divorce to battling with cancer, each connected to what they were wearing at the time.
Many of the stories are derived from Ilene Beckerman’s book of the same title, but others come from the writers themselves, including a notable story by Nora Ephron about purses from her book entitled I Feel Bad About My Neck. Ephron, who passed away in June of 2012, is probably best known as the screenwriter of films such as When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail and Julie and Julia. She was often praised for giving a voice to women in the film business and for bringing levity to the portrayal of women’s issues in film.
Performances will be held at the Judith G. Wharton Music Center in Berkeley Heights on Oct. 25, 26 / Nov. 1, 2 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 27 / Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets will be $20 in advance or $22 at the door. For more information and tickets visit www.BerkeleyLightOperaCompany.org . Proceeds will go to benefit Susan G. Komen North Jersey.