Review of Remy Bumppo's Love and Information

Once upon a time I went to a show and it was called Love and Information. It was by Caryl Churchill and it was directed by Shawn Douglass. It was a bunch of little different stories put together. It was a lot of different ways of exploring knowledge, secrets, and love. You really have to think and process the show before you feel like you understand it. I can see why it might be confusing for some people. But I like puzzles in shows; I don't like it all to just be given to me. Every time a new scene would start the audience would have to figure out what the scene is about and who the characters are. At the very beginning they would get their props and costumes out of these boxes that were all around the stage (awesome set design by Jacqueline and Rick Penrod) and you would get an idea of what their characters would be like from seeing those things. And as the scene goes on you kind of feel like a detective because you are finding out all these things about the people you are watching. I thought this was a really fun show. I loved it. I thought that this author has a really new, fun, and exciting idea about theater that I really admire.

I loved the One Direction scene with Andres Enriquez and Jennifer Glasse. I found it so funny. I am not a Directioner myself, but some of my friends are. So, I recognized the behavior, like how if they don't know one thing about Harry Styles, they have a complete freak out. And I was wondering what time the scene took place because they didn't have updated shirts because Zane was still in the picture. I am part of a lot of fandoms myself, but I'm not this enthusiastic about all of them. I thought the characters were adorable because they were just so enthusiastic about something. I love seeing people enjoying being fans of bands and stuff.

The different words for table scene with David Darlow and Frank Sawa was so hilarious. The older man was asking about all these different words for table from the waiter that was at the restaurant he was at. It was funny because the waiter seemed to be getting bored of all it at the beginning but then then patron kept asking for more words for table. But then by the end the patron was saying "And they all mean table." But of course they all mean the object that is in front of them. But table is not the "correct word" it is just a way of saying it in English. It showed you that the patron only saw the world as America. The waiter then was like, "Ok. I give up." They weren't exactly communicating effectively even though the waiter knows thirty different languages. Information can be the key to understanding, but not if someone getting the information is culturally illiterate.

There is a scene where there were these two people (Emjoy Gavino and Raymond Fox) who were sitting and making memory houses so they could memorize lists. They would put different things in different places and then go through the house in their minds to remember them. But the woman would keep saying where the things were in her own memory and mess up the man trying to remember his house. And he said, "You need to do this quietly on your own." And then she just stepped over one step and talked in the same voice. And I thought that was very funny. And he ends up remembering a memory of his dad, and that is not what he is trying to do but he remembered his dad when he remembered the house. It ends up being about both memorizing and remembering. There is another scene with these two actors that was also like love and information put in one scene. The woman asks the man a question and the man answers with a fact. It seems like they are practicing for a test or something. And it goes back and forth like this. And she asks "Do you love me?" And he says something like "Let's just keep going." But then at the end he hugs her backwards and says "Yes." And I just found that so sweet.

I thought the short scenes were very effective. There was a really funny scene where a girl (Gavino) was riding on a man's (Gregory Fenner) back and it was like she was telling him about a zoo. And then he just glared at her. And I thought that was really funny. Then there was another scene that was touching which had this woman (Linda Gillum) holding a box of candy. And she said something in sign language and then walked off. It seemed like she was going to give the box of candy to someone who couldn't hear and was practicing what to say to the person. It was very touching because she is communicating in a way that she is not used to just for someone else. There was another short scene where a woman (Penelope Walker) was playing with a Rubik's cube and another woman (Mary Poole) walked in and said something about the universe and walked off. And she said it just like it was a normal thing to come up and say. And I found it very funny because usually when you come into a room you say "Hi! How are you?" you don't just start talking about what the universe is.

People who would like this show are people who like memory houses, different words for table, and One Direction. I think that people should definitely go see this show. It is a real puzzler, but it is really fun to watch. I really enjoyed it!


Photos: Johnny Knight