by Kait Fowlie
If you are a woman living in the 21st century, clothes are much more than simply a means to stay warm and not be naked in public. Oh, how many hours have we all spent trying to find “something to wear”? If you understand what I’m saying, you should probably go see “Love, Loss, and What I Wore”. This salon style performance consists of an intimate collection of tales from the book by Ileen Beckerman, covering everything from bras and boots to Birkenstocks and bitchy therapists.

Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, the multitalented sisters behind the performance, have taken over the world of female entertainment with films like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Sleepless in Seattle, and Julie and Julia. They recruited five hilarious and charismatic women whose chemistry onstage is tight as a new pair of pleather pants. Paula Brancati (Degrassi, Being Erica) meditates on the dilemma of heels vs. think (one simply cannot think when walking around in heels that feel like they are made out of a cheese grater), Andrea Martin (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Wag the Dog) delves into the aggravation of owning a purse, and the horrors of her first “outfit”, Mary Walsh (This Hour has 22 Minutes, The Republic of Doyle) owns up to the life changing experience of being felt up by a linebacker-esque bra saleswoman, Sharron Matthews (Canada’s Goddess of Cabaret) whose every move makes us want to sing, dance…or just be more exciting and Louise Pitre (Mamma Mia! stage performance and Les Miserables) gives us a life drawing lesson. This all-star line-up will grace the stage from now till August 7, and then a new crew of five other witty and uninhibited specimens take over ’till September 4th.

The stories locate the complexities of a woman’s experience in the context of wardrobe – so, like, we all get it. Many of the stories are set in New York, referencing streets and landmarks in the city, giving the play a bit of a Sex and the City feel, and definitely with an equal amount of sass. However, this is the type of thing you could bring your boyfriend to without him being miserable (unless he doesn’t like side splitting stories of a crass and candid nature). But in the interest of maximizing relatable lulz, bring a gal pal or your ma and gush over the universal tales of wardrobe triumph and catastrophes. The play will be on at the Panasonic Theatre until September 4th. For more information, go to lovelossonstage.ca.