The many stages of love

During February, the thoughts of many turn to humanity’s most stirring, sought-after and celebrated emotion — love.

It seems fitting that Petaluma Readers Theatre is exploring the topic of love and its many phases in a new simple reading of “About Love,” a collection of writings by well-known and local authors.

“The performance consists of a series of vignettes,” said Jennifer March, executive director of Petaluma Readers Theatre. “Its angle is examining love through time. It starts with youthful love with its innocence, and graduates into the more mature, sometimes bitter, sometimes happy and sometimes ecstatic love. It goes through the whole arc of love, but it ends on a positive note.”

The story of love through a lifetime is told through the eyes of several different well-known authors, such as Edward Albee, E.E. Cumm-ings and Bob Krakower.

“It’s just a real tapestry of different styles and genres,” said March. “It should be a lot of fun.”

March also decided to include the works of several local authors in the performance, including Caryl Fuller, Nancy Long and Roger Marquis.

“Marquis wrote a short play for the Five Minute Plays at Aqus Café, which was really good,” said March. “He’s expanded on it and it’s one of the ones we’re doing in ‘About Love.’ He’s also one of our readers for the performance.”

Caryl Fuller’s piece is one March describes as “a rant on several different things.”

“She’s a very playful and fun writer,” said March.

Nancy Long’s contribution to ‘About Love’ is a poetic and mysterious piece.

“It’s very sultry,” March said. “It’s different, but very nice and meshes well with all these thoughts on love.”

Directed by Hilary Moore, “About Love” features readers Maureen Studer, Jared Dreyfus, Marquis and March.

For those unfamiliar with simple readers theater, it’s a basic performance of a written piece, which can be anything from poetry to a dramatic play. There are no costumes, scenery or props to deal with, which makes it a very portable form of theater.

In simple readers theater, the performers are usually seated on stools, dressed in black and have music stands in front of them, with the script.

“The dramatic interpretation is all from the waist up,” said March. “They can use gesturing, but no miming. It’s a less intimidating form of theater. It’s simple and you can do it anywhere.”

There are also two other kinds of readers theater styles: staged readings and chamber theater.

In staged readings, the readers are more involved and can either sit or stand. Chamber theater has a lot more freedom. The readers can walk around, use a prop or scenery and even wear costumes, but they are still holding the script.

Show times for “About Love” are at 8 p.m. Feb. 19-20 at Dimensions Gallery, 115 Petaluma Blvd. North. Tickets are $12 and benefit Mentor Me Petaluma. Performances of “About Love” open with music by jazz musicians Susana Crofton and Fred Lamberson.

For tickets and information about becoming involved with Petaluma Readers Theater, visit www.hazelstage.com/read erstheatre.

(Contact Yovanna Bieberich at yovanna.bieberich@argus courier.com)