Faction of Fools presents “Love Like Tuesday”

Tickets: $15-$35 at www.FactionofFools.org
Tickets available at the door
Running time is approximately 2 hours with one intermission Family Friendly, but contains high school aged humor.

NOT FLASHY, NOT SIMPLE. PRESENT AND TRUE. AN ALWAYS THERE KIND OF LOVE…

Join Faction of Fools Theatre Company’s world premiere production of Love Like Tuesday written by playwright Doug Robinson in collaboration with the devising ensemble of Faction of Fools. Told through the lens of Faction’s signature style of Commedia dell’Arte, a style of theatre originating in Renaissance Italy that utilizes masks and high energy physicality, Love Like Tuesday hearkens to the nostalgia and structure of classic Rom Com films…but with a twist.

Doreen Dawkins triumphs as the best lunch lady to ever grace the kitchens of Pangolin High, despite being equipped with an oven that won’t go above 175 degrees. Between that and caring for her ailing mother, Doreen has a full plate with no extra room for dessert…and certainly no space for love. And how could she with high school students ever reliant on her support, Principal Foggybottom’s battle with the budget, or Janitor Silver sneaking into her kitchen to prepare his famous boot stew? Doreen is surrounded with the whirlwind of life, but time stands still when an old high school flame, Cameron Noodle, fills a long-term sub position at Pangolin High. In a society where hearts-falling-out-of-your-eyes is reserved for “young love”, can a middle aged lunch lady still experience love like fireworks?

Supported by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, this collaborative playwrighting process exemplifies the work Faction of Fools prioritizes. Led by Robinson’s charming, joyful, and exquisitely powerful writing, the development occurred over the course of one year. Beginning in January 2022, Robinson met regularly with the devising ensemble of Faction to improvise, workshop, and play with the world of this production.

In addition to a collaborative new play development, Love Like Tuesday features new masks designed and created by Tara Cariaso of Waxing Moon Masks through a collaborative mask design process. Cariaso designed from each actor’s face and features, with each actor contributing to the expression and characterization of the masks through conversation and feedback. By creating masks and characters of our contemporary culture and fostering the relationship between mask designer and actor, Faction honors the tradition of Commedia dell’Arte: featuring the artist-creator, poking fun at current society, and celebrating the triumph of the powerless.

Starring in Love Like Tuesday are Mary Myers as Doreen Dawkins, Danny Cackley, Jordan Essex, Bri Houtman, Matthew Pauli, Jasmine Proctor, Andrew Quilpa, and Kathryn Zoerb.

Director Francesca Chilcote guides the whirlwind of love into a cohesive vision of clarity and play, highlighting the juxtaposition of lazzi and longing. The production team consists of William K. D’Eugenio as Lighting Designer, Sarah Kamins as Stage Manager, Nick Martin as Props Designer, Matthew Nielson as Composer & Sound Designer, Samantha Owen as Production Manager, Lynly Saunders as Costume Designer, Johnny Weissgerber as Set Designer, and Kathryn Zoerb as Movement Coach.