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From SanDiego.com:
"Don’t expect major insights. Six’s characters, however, do offer some lesser ones, like Ronnie’s observation that 'Dancing and drinking were invented for sex' or Rich’s philosophy: 'Truth is better than lying. You have to remember less.' And Six’s script cleverly milks a gag about how obvious a couple’s surreptitious kiss was."
Read the full review here. Photo by Kathleen Masse, quote by Don Braunagel, San Diego.com.
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The opening scene of Lotus Theatre Collective’s Love Negotiated is apparently set in the early evening, which makes it a little late in the day for a nooner. Richard and Veronica squeezed it in a few minutes ago anyhow, and that says a lot about the persistence that marks their lives. They’re divorce and family attorneys, after all. As such, it’s not stretching things to presume they’ve nooned their share of clients and then some, a few of whom probably had it coming.
But this play contains little about law, at least the kind you find between the covers of a stupid book. We can lay down all the rules we want, and we can modify them as our conduct requires, but romantic love—often against its better judgment—is the central force of nature in our public lives. That’s what makes playwright Kevin Six’s concept (i.e., lawyers in love) so appropriate. He’s got an ideal partner in director D.J. Sullivan, probably the best all-around drama coach in the city. The story takes it from there—and while it occasionally backs into its characters, it’s a spirited tale, blessedly devoid of cliché, that augurs well for Six and, importantly, for University Heights’ Swedenborg Hall.
The headstrong Dick and Ronnie (Mark Biagi and Jennie Olson) fuel history’s most grueling love relationship (their own); ironically, they stay together amid the maelstrom that descends on their stylish home. Before the play’s over, three other couples weigh in on sex, lifestyles, family and every other element so crucial to romantic foundations. Some (like Ann, played by the hilarious Savvy Scopelleti) will begrudgingly draw their own conclusions about the gay experience. All will agree that romantic involvement raises more questions than it answers.
Six would likely be the first to note that this show breaks nothing near new ground. Playwrights from Aeschylus to Philip King have tackled love and its intimacies from every conceivable angle, with every conceivable result. That’s where Sullivan comes in with a vengeance—her uncanny sense of style keeps the interludes interesting, creating happy distractions as she adjusts body languages to fit the rising and falling action. Sullivan is truly a San Diego treasure; the fact that she’s coached two Tony winners and an Oscar nominee is but a whisper amid her accomplishments.
She and
Six do tend to falter a bit on the use of the set. Much is made of
Richard and Veronica’s front door as part of the action, with the
couples posing in the frame as it opens. Some scenelets might have gone
better if some of the principals had let themselves in instead of
ringing that blasted bell. That may seem like a quibble, but it’s not.
Doors are highly metaphorical in middle farces like these; that’s why
they’re always getting slammed, poor things.
In any event, please do
enjoy this taut, well-executed piece on a topic that never seems to go
away. It’s earnestly funny, and it’s also a feather in Swedenborg
Hall’s cap; more and more, the venue is holding itself out as a major
public performance space. Nice to think that eclectic University
Heights has a little arts district in the making, with the acclaimed
Diversionary Theatre as its flagship.
This review is
based on the opening-night performance of Feb. 14. Love Negotiated runs
through March 1 at Swedenborg Hall, 1531 Tyler Ave., University
Heights. $12-$15. 619-952-1416, www.lovenegotiated.com
.
Write to [email protected] and [email protected].
The early reviews are in and it looks like Love Negotiated is a hit... Here are some quotes.
"If you want to experience a really funny look at love, this play Love Negotiated is an absolute must."
"PHOTO shows gay kissing scene, rare in San Diego theatre, as policeman Mark (Tyler Josua Herdklotz, left) embraces soap-opera star Luke (Thomas Hall), in the new and very funny stage play Love Negotiated. It opened on Valentine’s Day at the Swedenborg Hall theatre."
Photo, caption and quotes by Leo E. Laurence, San Diego News Service.
From the San Diego Reader Website:
"The Lotus Theatre Collective has given the play a lively production in
which the entire cast contributes (Marc Biagi, as Richard, Jennie
Olson, as Veronica, and Melanie Sutherlin, as Maria, merit special
mention). Sheila Rosen's costumes define character to a T. And Marie
Miller's lighting's the best I've ever seen at Swedenborg Hall."
Photo by Kathleen Masse, quote by Jeff Smith, San Diego Reader.
Here is one of a number of photos of the Love Negotiated cast at work under the lights.
To see them all, click this link: Kat Masse's Love Negotiated Stills
San Diego, Ca- I'm here at the opening of my show. Here is a picture of me with my good friend Sherri Allen at intermission. I was insanely nervous but the show is going extremely well and there is a full house. Members of the press are here and people are laughing. I'm feeling much better now.
For those of you not awake and watching tellie at 5:45am, then you missed our feature on NBC Early Morning News with Jason Austell. But no worries! Your loving A.D./Producer woke up at the ungodly hour of 4:00am and picked up your nervous-grumpy-not-a-morning-person-playwright Kevin Six and delivered him to the NBC Studios where our professional and chronically-early-everywhere-actress Savvy Scopelleti was waiting, and within moments we were joined by equally professional arriving-with-coffee-in-hand-actor Tom Hall. Phew. Ok Kevin, you can relax now!!!!
Just
in case my camera wouldn't be allowed on set, we took this picture as
we waited in the lobby for our escort to bring us into the studio:
(note how great everyone looks for 5:00 in the morning!)
We went down the hall of editing rooms and sound rooms and rounded the corner of newsroom cubicles and right into the live taping studio. I must have missed the red "on the air" light, because they were broadcasting live as we shuffled in and our host gathered chairs for us. Here's the co-anchor leading in to the weather update:
Speaking of lead-ins, or "teasers", that's just what they had our two actors do before the commercial break. Here's the tape from my angle, which was fun to watch as the camera man was having fun with their shot:
Well finally, the moment arrived, and they were ready to air the live interview! Just one thing though. Kevin had to get to his spot:
There, much better!
Ok, now everyone is in place and, it's GO TIME! (remember, it's all LIVE on air!)
First, Jason Austell interviews the playwright Kevin Six, who explains that the show is about lawyers, non-lawyers, and people just trying to figure out what love is. He says basically it's about relationships, and we hope that's funny!
So 30 seconds of that then a preview scene from the show by our talented actors. Fortunately for us, it just so happens that both Savvy and Tom have backgrounds in broadcasting, so they knew exactly how to stand, what to do, what to say, and how to get it all out in exactly 60 seconds. They were awesome. I mean, just look at them, they're naturals!
Notice behind them, outside, how dark it is? Yep, the sun had not even risen yet, and before you could even say "breakfast", it was a wrap!
So where's the tape of the actors doing the scene, you ask? Well, if you weren't up at 5:00am to watch it on tv for yourself, then you'll just have to come see the show!
