[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre review of MB Artists and Heart Productions’ I’ll Give You My Heart, written by Tamara Steren and directed by James Mellon, running through October 17, at the Colony Theatre.
Who among us doesn’t love a romantic comedy? They once were the mainstay of Hollywood films, until the tent-pole mega-budget scifi stuff. However, I am very hopeful that in the ever-changing world of movies and streaming and everything else, there is room for them again. But that is film, and this is theatre. So how can you make a contemporary romantic comedy work on stage without it feeling forced?
Well, you must begin with the writing, of course. Tamara Steren wrote this absolutely brilliant play. It is not at all surprising to me that she is an award-winning screenwriter. The plot thickens…
The story of I’ll Give You My Heart revolves around Charlie, a lovely young woman whose fiancé, Ben, was tragically killed in a car accident on the morning of their wedding. Five years later and their relationship is still going strong.She is still spending plenty of time with him. And he is still dead. No, she didn’t have him stuffed. Ben’s now a ghost. He follows her everywhere and that is perfectly fine with her! Not moving on has become almost an art form to Charlie, and her only love and only companion is Ben.
Her almost sister-in-law is the only person she has confided all of this crazy to. Although she understands Charlie’s loss and she misses her brother too, she really wants Charlie to find someone else, soon, and to let go of Ben. Desperately.
As the story unfolds, we get to know Charlie a lot and Ben a little. Charlie is the real center of this very funny and very moving story. But when we meet the new romantic interest in Charlie’s life, this play takes off in a whole new and very funny direction.
I don’t want to tell you any more, although I am absolutely dying to. Going into any more detail would ruin the entire thing for you, so I won’t. Suffice it to say, I’m pretty good at predicting where a story will go. However, this one totally stunned me! And there is a point in the play where you will hear audible gasps from the audience! Which is a very rare thing in theatre and very, very fun!
What holds it all together, apart from the truly wonderful script and the beautiful direction, are these incredible actors.
I don’t want to single anyone out, and really, that would be impossible anyway because everyone is so fantastic. They are nuanced and believable, heartbreaking and utterly true, very clever and very funny. The casting is superb, every actor fits their roles and each other perfectly. They are a perfect cast. Truly.
To make a play about death and love and fate and the poetry of life and make it feel as if it were any one of us on that stage, living those lives, is hard to do. To make one as utterly brilliant and inspiring as this is almost an impossibility. I really cannot impress upon you enough how magically wonderful I’ll Give You My Heart is.
After all these years of reviewing plays…too many plays and too many years to mention, it’s difficult to surprise me. Even as I very happily open myself to every possibility in every play I see, and wish it well.
But this play, this gorgeous, hopeful, beautifully written and astonishingly performed play is truly, truly something else. Something completely magical.
I absolutely adored I’ll Give You My Heart and I whole heartedly recommend it to you all. In fact, I insist that you go and see it. It will give you some much-needed love and laughter and heart-aching goodness in this complicated, messy world…Bravo to all!!!
$10.00 off all seats/tiers for all shows: NOHO10
Tickets:
https://www.colonytheatre.org/illgiveyoumyheart
Where:
555 N 3rd St, Burbank, CA 91502
When:
October 2–19
Friday at 8pm | Saturday at 2pm & 8pm | Sunday at 3pm
The Cast
The cast will feature Jacqueline Emerson, Jeremy S. Walker, Emily Nash, Heather Lee, Jonah Robinson, Jon Root, and Jennifer Cannon.
The Team
Scenic design is by Mark Mendelson, lighting design is by Dan Weingarten, costume design is by Madeline Keller, and sound design is by Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski. Projection design is by Gabrieal Griego and hair and makeup design is by Leland Stephens. Production stage manager is Kevin Bailey, and assistant stage manager is Matthew Herrmann. Casting is by Michael Donovan, CSA, and Richie Ferris, CSA.
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