Arts
      &
      Entertainment
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Love
      is
      Strange
     
     
      Presented
      by
      UPEI
      Theatre
      Society
     
     
      Reviewed
      by
      Nancy
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Picture
      it
      -
      Friday
      night
      November
      16,
      1990
      and
      I’m
     
     
      not
      at
      a
      club!
      I’m
      at
      the
      MacKenzie
      Theatre
      seeing
     
     
      the
      university
      production
      of
      the
      musical
      drama
     
     
      "Love
      is
      Strange".
      This
      play
      is
      inspired
      by
      the
      case
     
     
      of
      a
      Saskatchewan
      farmer
      who
      was
      an
      obsessed
      fan
     
     
      of
      Anne
      Murray.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      the
      first
      act,
      Colby,
      the
      main
      character,
      played
      by
     
     
      Eugene
      Sauve,
      is
      in
      court
      because
      he
      broke
      his
     
     
      probation
      to
      stay
      away
      from
      the
      Anne
      Murray-like
     
     
      character
      Linda
      Barrie
      (Miriam
      Naylor).
     
    

    
     
      The
      second
      act
      takes
      place
      in
      a
      mental
      hospital,
     
     
      then
      returns
      to
      the
      courtroom.
      Funny,
      from
      one
     
     
      nuthouse
      to
      another.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Anyway,
      so
      I’ve
      read
      the
      program.
      I
      feel
      cultural.
     
     
      I’m
      getting
      into
      it.
      My
      only
      mistake
      is
      that
      I’m
      not
     
     
      wearing
      black.
      The
      ambience
      (what
      a
      groovy
      word)
     
     
      is
      casual.
      The
      stage
      is
      not
      elaborately
      set
      but
      it
     
     
      works.
      I
      hate
      crowded
      sets.
      I’m
      tense
      because
      I’ve
     
     
      never
      reviewed
      a
      play
      before,
      plus
      I’ve
      been
      on
      the
     
     
      "other"
      side
      as
      an
      actor.
      I’m
      afraid
      I
      won’t
      like
      the
     
     
      play.
      I
      must
      ignore
      my
      fears
      because
      the
      play
      is
     
     
      beginning.
      The
      lights
      fade
      and
      I!
      watch
      with
     
     
      anticipation.
      After
      a
      few
      minutes
      my
      fears
      are
      put
     
     
      to
      rest
      because
      this
      is
      a
      great
      show.
      I
      especially
      like
     
     
      the
      performance
      of
      the
      judge
      (Tracey
      Landry),
      Cord
     
     
      (Craig
      Cormier),
      Rick
      (Bobbi
      Jo
      Doyle)
      and
      C.G.
     
     
      Rand
      (Tory
      Thorkelson).
      I
      like
      the
      judge’s
      dry
     
     
      humour
      which
      is
      realistic
      and
      in
      character.
      Cord
      is
     
     
      a
      wild
      and
      "very"
      crazy
      guy
      in
      the
      mental
      hospital.
     
     
      He’s
      funny
      because
      he
      reminds
      one
      of
      the
      loony
     
     
      tune
      bad
      guy
      cartoon
      in
      the
      straight
      jacket
      in
      the
     
     
      movie
      "Who
      framed
      Roger
      Rabbit?".
      Rick
      is
      an
     
     
      autograph
      collector
      who
      adds
      some
      laughs
      and
      the
     
     
      psychiatrist-au-Freud
      is
      hilarious.
      Is
      that
      a
      real
     
     
      beard?
      I
      wonder.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Actually,
      all
      the
      actors
      are
      playing
      their
      parts
      well.
     
     
      Now,
      about
      the
      main
      characters.
      I’m
      thinking
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      \
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Linda
      Barrie
      (Miriam
      Naylor)
      sings
      very
      well
      and
     
     
      very
      low.
      Barrie
      lulls
      the
      audience
      through
      about
     
     
      eight
      songs
      (maybe
      more,
      maybe
      less)
      during
      the
     
     
      play.
      Her
      voice
      must
      be
      tired
      but
      I
      can’t
      tell
     
     
      because
      she
      sounds
      as
      fresh
      in
      the
      last
      song
      as
      she
     
     
      did
      in
      the
      first
      song.
      Colby
      (Sauve)
      is
      the
      former
     
     
      fella
      who
      thinks
      that
      Linda
      loves
      him
      back.
      |
     
     
      realize
      that
      he
      is
      disturbed
      when
      he
      thinks
      he’s
     
     
      somebody
      else.
      I
      feel
      sympathy
      for
      him.
      Eugene
     
     
      Sauve
      has
      a
      lot
      of
      lines
      and
      he’s
      not
      forgetting
      them
     
     
      and
      he’s
      acting
      at
      the
      same
      time.
      I’m
      impressed.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Now
      the
      Strange
      Love
      play
      is
      over
      and
      I’m
      listening
     
     
      to
      the
      all
      nighter
      on
      CIMN
      and
      writing
      a
      review.
      By
     
     
      looking
      at
      the
      theatre
      program
      again
      a
      lot
      of
      work
     
     
      was
      put
      into
      this
      play.
      "Love
      is
      Strange"
      was
      well
     
     
      organized,
      the
      acting
      was
      commendable
      and
      the
     
     
      music
      was
      played
      and
      sung
      well.
      I
      wish
      I
      could
     
     
      have
      been
      a
      part
      of
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Well,
      gotta
      go
      cuz
      the
      nightclubs
      are-a-callin’!!
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      UPEI
      X-Press
     
    
   
   
    
     
      November
      22,
      1990