The Performing Arts Center at Kent State University - Tuscarawas is thrilled to welcome audiences back for a special free Reopening Night event featuring a performance of the award-winning drama Love, Loss, and What I Wore. The show will be presented by the Black Box Ensemble Theatre on Friday, August 13th at the Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m.
“After a long 17-month hiatus from presenting shows, we’re excited to reopen our doors and offer this free opportunity to the community,” says David Mitchell, general manager of the Performing Arts Center. “This Reopening Night will be a wonderful celebration of the resilience of our community and a return to live performances. Featuring the local talent from Black Box Ensemble Theatre is the perfect way to highlight our remarkable local arts scene and kick off our upcoming season of national touring artists.”
Love, Loss, and What I Wore is a play on written by Nora Ephron and her sister Delia, based on the 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman. Beckerman wrote a diary of reflections for her five children including illustrations of the dresses she had worn. The Ephron sisters expanded on Beckerman's book by weaving in friends of theirs and using clothing and accessories to tell funny and poignant stories. The Off-Broadway production ran for more than 1,000 performances with a rotating cast, earning a Drama Desk award and continues to play throughout the United States and other countries. This show deals with frank subject matter and contains adult language.
“It is a universal story about women and their clothing,” adds Don Irven, director of the show. "This is my third time directing this fabulous show! This intimate collection of stories touches on serious and very funny themes of the memories of what women wore. Some of the stories include prom dresses, shoes, purses, brides, mothers, and the age-old question as to why women only want to wear black. Many of the stories are heartwarming while others are heart wrenching."
The cast includes Shannon Mitchell, Elizabeth Thomakos, Sarah Spies, Allison Morris, Larissa Carrick and Kate Lynne Johnson. The assistant director is Elizabeth Thomakos with production management by Bartolo Cannizzaro and lighting design by Velda Lyness.
Admission is free and there are no reserved seats for the performance. For those inclined to offer support, donations will be collected after the show in support of The Performing Arts Center's Endowment Fund. For additional information, call the PAC box office at 330-308-6400.
The Performing Arts Center’s 2021-2022 Season is sponsored by the Tuscarawas County Community Foundation.
Free and convenient parking is available for all shows. The Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of Kent State Tuscarawas at 330 University Dr. N.E. in New Philadelphia.