Black Box Ensemble event to kick off PAC season
Allison Morris, rear left, Shannon Mitchell, Elizabeth Thomakos, Larrisa Carrick, front left, and Sarah Spies are the cast of “Love, Loss and What I Wore.”
After 17 months of darkness, the stage at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State Tuscarawas will come to life on Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m. with “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” a play showcasing local talent from the Black Box Ensemble Theatre.
While the performance is free, donations will be accepted afterward to benefit the PAC Endowment Fund.
The multiple award-winning play was written by Norah and Delia Ephron, based on the Ilene Beckerman book of the same name. The memoir chronicles Beckerman’s life in a series of memories attached to clothing, from her Brownie uniform to prom dresses.
After reading the book, the Ephron sisters emailed 100 of their friends asking them to submit their own stories and memories about clothing, then wove them into a play that has been delighting and moving audiences around the world.
“We thought it would be a good way for us to shake off the dust a little bit,” said David Mitchell, general manager for the PAC. “It also made sense to reopen with something from the local arts scene to thank the community for the support they’ve given us during our brief intermission.”
This will be the third time Don Irven has directed the show. A huge believer in the power of the written word, Irven founded Black Box to focus on plays that bring theater-goers productions that don’t require stage dressing to convey compelling messages.
Irven said he must have read more than 80 scripts during the pandemic but kept coming back to this one.
“The show is five actors breathing life into 28 characters in 90 minutes,” Irven said. “It has been performed in more than eight countries now, so it has universal appeal and staying power.”
Elizabeth Thomakos is the show’s assistant director and also one of the actors. “I like to say we costume our memories,” she said. “I think it’s very common for women to have outfits attached to memories.”
Joining Thomakos in the cast are Allison Gipson-Morris, Larissa Carrick, Shannon Mitchell and Sarah Spies. Waiting in the wings, should anyone need to be replaced at the last minute, is Kate Lynne Miller as the swing.
“A swing is a member of the company who understudies several — or in this case, all — of the roles,” Irven said. “She is an incredibly versatile actor, and I’m very grateful to have a swing actor available.”
A first-timer in the show, she remarked on its quality. “It’s such a good show. There aren’t many wholesome, heartfelt shows with good material anymore, and it’s just very real.”
Carrick, another first-timer, agreed. “I like that the vignettes are real stories shared by real women, and I like the honesty with which they are presented — the hilarious things and even the painful, serious things that are hard but important to talk about.”
Gipson-Morris feels it’s a show every woman needs to see. “One thing we forget is that we’re all in this together and have our own challenges, but we can support each other. Women need to do that more often.”
Appearing in the show for her second time, Spies said the diversity of stories is part of what she loves about it. “We get to go between characters who are funny, sorrowful, angry or nostalgic, which is the best kind of challenge for an actor.”
Playing the anchor role of Gingy, who serves as a narrator but around whose life the show revolves, is Mitchell. “Gingy is the only character we really get to follow through her whole life,” she said. “She is based on the author of the book, so we get to follow her through her journey of loves and her losses.”
About the venue
Irven and the cast said they are delighted to be performing at the PAC, even if it’s for one night only.
“The communal experience of watching live theater is important, I think, in our recovery,” Irven said, “not just for the audience, but also for these actors who have been itching to get out and do something.”
Carrick said she feels blessed to be able to perform there. “It’s a beautiful theater,” she said. “I think it’s definitely going to be a performance to remember for everyone who attends.”
For more information call 330-308-6400. The PAC is located on the Kent State at Tuscarawas campus at 330 University Drive NE in New Philadelphia.