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Love Sick

nytheatre.com review by Ross Chappell
August 15, 2005

In the mood for a cowboy romance gone awry? Lovesick is your show. It may sound like shtick, but in reality it’s an honest (if quirky) look at small moments in the human condition. The most fascinating aspect of this play is its simplicity. It’s funny in places, but it’s not a comedy. It’s a small play about two people (a cowboy and a prostitute) who both seem to be a bit lost in life.I’m a sucker for well-executed pre-show gimmicks. In the case of Lovesick, the audience walks in to find a cowboy asleep, out on the plains, on top of a pile of fairly stereotypical Wild West rubbish. As the lights dim, our cowboy, Tax, is in the midst of a nightmare about having shot someone named Nate, seemingly over a woman. The scene is handled with a degree of restraint that is quite rare. It’s natural feel sets the tone for the rest of the show: slightly funny, slightly intriguing. Our prostitute, Jinx, hesitantly wakes Tax to inform him that his ex-girl, Belle, has died of a fever. The catch? Belle got Jinx to promise to find Tax and be his new girl. You heard me right. Belle (another prostitute) left Jinx to Tax, “like a damn hat?!” exclaims Tax. The plot itself isn’t really all that surprising, nor does it break any new ground, but, for better or worse, the plot is almost a side-issue. For this show, the focus is the execution of the small moments between Tax and Jinx. In those moments we see loss, fear, uncertainty, and hope, and so we wind up seeing ourselves.Gabriel McKinley, who plays Tax and is also the author of Lovesick, is more than adequate, but doesn’t really shine until later in the play when he dives into Tax’s human side. He asks aloud why he shot Nate and then delivers completely believable moments of introspection. Though I liked his performance, I’d be interested in seeing another actor play this role. Actor-playwrights often seem to be too close to their characters. Again, where McKinley’s script stands out is in its amazing restraint. Tax’s remembering of Belle is never saccharine. Jinx’s willingness to please Tax is never overly desperate. Nothing gets in the way of the human moments that dominate this script.Stefanie Frame, as Jinx, is nothing short of stunning. From the moment she walks on stage, she commands attention by delivering one of the most subtle, understated, and believable performances I have ever seen, ever. In fact, I never saw Frame at all. The character walks in that room and dominates it through the end of the play. Her personality feels three-dimensional; her mannerisms are eerily real; her search for permanence is compelling. With a performance that is as engaging as it is effortless, Frame makes this Jinx’s story. I have no doubt she is destined for a long, successful career.Even Mark Fratello’s direction is careful and restrained. His staging supports the play’s quiet, personal moments, and his pacing of this piece is nearly perfect. Likewise the lighting (by Jason Brandt) is soft and unobtrusive. Kristi Fratello’s costumes are remarkable in their texture and authenticity. Laura Esposito’s set is minimalist and appropriate (except for the odd, cutout tree in the back).This show’s examination of topics as diverse as loneliness, desire, apathy, and the fallout from abuse is quiet and extremely well-handled. Though the plot of the play doesn’t quite add up to be the sum of its parts, the parts are definitely worth seeing, experiencing, and absorbing.