LEISURE

Quirky comedy postponed for the time being

Hoping to bring the quirky comedy â€œLove Songâ€ to the Scripps RanchÂ Theatre stage areÂ (front row, from left) Martina Lopez, AssistantÂ Director Jillian Jones, (back row, from left) Paul Eddy,Â Director KevinÂ Hafso-Koppman, Javier Guerrero and Leigh Akin. (photo by Ken Jacques)

Quirky comedy postponed for the time being

A quirky romantic comedy that reveals multiple layers as it explores the power of love, in all its forms, was set to hit the local Scripps Ranch Theatre (SRT) stage, but “Love Song” has been postponed due the COVID-19 crisis.
Scripps Ranch Theatre decided it is in the best interest of the community to postpone the production indefinitely. The theatre will contact anyone who bought tickets in advance. As a non-profit organization, the adjustment with “Love Song” will have major fiscal ramifications on Scripps Ranch Theatre. Ticket-holders may choose to transfer their ticket to a 100 percent tax-deductible donation.

About ‘Love Song’
Written by John Kolvenbach and first produced in 2006, the play tells the story of Beane, an emotionless, extreme introvert who is burglarized by the pixieish Molly and then falls in love with her. His sister, Joan, and her husband, Harry, Beane’s self-appointed caretakers, are suspicious of the relationship, but Beane’s newfound joy is contagious.

As director Kevin Hafso-Koppman explained, Beane begins the play withdrawn from life in general and not having an opinion on many things. But the burglary and the burglar have a strangely transformative effect on him.

“What this burglar does is turn his perspective of the world upside down and all of a sudden everything is illuminated to its fullest potential,” Hafso-Koppman said. “Everything from food to love to what the air smells like is completely changed for him. I think where the quirky comes in is that (Beane) goes a little too far almost into the ridiculous from our perspective. But it’s one of my favorite things about the play because he starts behaving in these ways and soaking up life and the world around him.”

The play marks Hafso-Koppman’s directorial debut at SRT. He has acted previously at the theater in “Death Trap” and “The Sunshine Boys.” He last directed John Logan’s “Red” at the Oceanside Theatre Company.

In the play, Paul Eddy will play Beane; Martina Lopez, Molly; Leigh Akin, Joan; and Javier Guerrero, Harry. Jillian Jones is assistant director.

Hafso-Koppman noted that as the play unfolds, audiences are in for pleasant surprises.

“Sometimes if feels like you’re watching your average comedy that’s a little left of center,” he said. “But then it’s making poignant points about the choices we make, how we live in the world around us and participate in our own life.”

As they work through rehearsals, the director said he and the actors were discovering new things every day about the play.

“As we’ve worked on it, I’ve discovered how much more there is to mine out of it and to say with it beyond a quirky comedy. I feel like it’s a lot more than that,” Hafso-Koppman said.

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