By SCOTT BABA<\/strong>
\nArt and Entertainment Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Onstage Theater closes out its 40th season this month with \u201cA Funny Little Thing Called Love\u201d at the Campbell Theater, a series of one-act plays written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, the writing trio that is sometimes collectively know as Jones Hope Wooten.<\/p>\n

Jones Hope Wooten are some of the most prolific writers in modern theater, and their work is no stranger to Martinez. <\/p>\n

Campbell regulars may recognize the punchy, fast-paced, quip-filled style of writing in \u201cA Funny Little Thing Called Love\u201d as similar to other plays put on locally, like \u201cChristmas Belles,\u201d Onstage Theater\u2019s semi-regular end-of-the-year holiday production.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Funny Little Thing Called Love\u201d contains five standalone one-act comedies with a wildly diverse range of settings and characters. <\/p>\n

In the quick introductory tale, \u201cLove Is On the Air,\u201d a newsroom reports on the beautiful full moon shining down, and its enchanting magic which is said to bring lovers together. <\/p>\n

In \u201cThe Lone Star Ladies\u2019 Justice Brigade,\u201d a man\u2019s evening goes sideways when he is suddenly brought face to face with the consequences of his romantic adventurism.<\/p>\n

A newlywed couple find their relationship under strain when their Hawaiian honeymoon is unexpectedly interrupted in \u201cA Hono-lulu of a Honeymoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

In \u201cA Little Brit of Romance,\u201d a quiet evening at a rooftop cafe in London is interrupted by the turbulent relationship troubles of an Oklahoman woman and her fiance, which draws in everyone present as unwilling participants. <\/p>\n

The final play, \u201cUpper West Side Story,\u201d is a delightful escalation comedy as one man\u2019s attempt to prepare the perfect evening to propose spirals inexorably out of control.<\/p>\n

The nature of the multi-play format means that there are a wide variety of stories, styles, and characters, and some of the individual one-acts can be hit and miss, depending on personal preference. <\/p>\n

But if not every play is for every audience member, the selection is also wide enough here that everyone will definitely be able to find something they enjoy. And Jones Hope Wooten, who got their start in sitcoms, keep the quips, jokes and physical gags flowing well enough that, should any particular narrative fall flat, the comedy still remains constant.<\/p>\n

Actor Randall Nott said that the fast pace and humor of \u201cA Funny Little Thing Called Love\u201d was an interesting stylistic choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very much TV style comedy, sitcom stuff, setups for one-liners and character bits we know,\u201d Nott said. \u201cIt\u2019s classic in many ways, I guess \u2013 cheap in many others. It\u2019s kind of going back and forth, rides the line between them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nott said that the tone matched the lighthearted series of stories well. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe silliness of it seems to be an ongoing theme \u2013 that you can just let that go and have fun with it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Throughout the play, common themes and symbols weave the five distinct tales into a cohesive whole. Every story revolves around love and relationships in some fashion, although usually in a roundabout way that subverts classic tropes and expectations of the romance genre. <\/p>\n

\u201cA Hono-lulu of a Honeymoon,\u201d for example, sidesteps the courtship phase entirely, and begins after the wedding, choosing instead to explore the \u201cafter\u201d in \u201chappily ever after,\u201d and the learning curve required to reconcile two previously separate lives into one new whole.<\/p>\n

Another surprising rejection of traditional romance in \u201cA Funny Little Thing Called Love\u201d is the age of its characters. Nobody in the play represents the usual \u201cyoung lovers\u201d archetype. Instead, most of the characters are apparently well into their middle age. Many of them have been married before, some multiple times. Everyone seems a little bit battered by life, and little bit broken. There\u2019s a vulnerability to these characters, a knowledge of what it’s like to have been burned before, and a willingness to face the flames again anyway. It’s an aspect of the play that’s surprisingly refreshing, and which makes the romance all the sweeter.<\/p>\n

Director Edwin Peabody said that the age and experience of the characters was something that drew him to the play, and something he wanted to share.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was important to kind of realize that a lot of people this age, 40s and 50s, are experiencing these things as well,\u201d said Peabody. \u201cAnd it is a funny little thing called love, especially when you\u2019re older. Because you have a history and you have a past, but at the same time, each of these characters that fall in love, they enter into it really honestly, versus some kind of comic way to get in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peabody added, \u201cIt\u2019s like people are realizing \u2013 through comedy, or through all this craziness \u2013 that they all just want to be together, not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cast pulls double and triple duty throughout the performance. Other productions of the play have fielded as many as 30 different actors, but Onstage chose to take a more minimalist approach, with only ten actors playing all the parts, everyone weaving deftly between the many stories and characters. <\/p>\n

Jennifer Lynn Brown Peabody, who plays four different characters, said that switching between everything was complex, but fun. \u201cI think it\u2019s hilarious. It\u2019s fun because I get to play four different people,\u201d she said. \u201cI have to figure out which one I\u2019m going to be next. It\u2019s like multiple personalities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delaney Duquesne, who also plays four different characters, said that it took some time to develop each unique character.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the beginning I found that I was very one-note,\u201d she said. \u201cBut now that I\u2019ve worked with them so much, I find that it\u2019s a lot easier to access them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Remington Stone, who plays three different characters (including two of the romantic leads), said he was just happy to be here. <\/p>\n

\u201cI usually play villains, so this is a complete departure for me,\u201d Stone said. \u201cPlaying normal, wholesome people, kissing people on stage \u2013 that never happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though the narratives can be a little uneven from one play to the next, there\u2019s definitely something for everyone in this fun, funny, heartwarming collection of comedies currently playing at the Campbell Theater.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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