Missing Heart

You just looked at the calendar and discovered what you’ve done, you are so dead, you’re goose is cooked, you probably should join the French Foreign Legion, you forgot Valentine’s Day.

There are worse crimes, forgetting her birthday, missing the anniversary playing golf or calling her by the name of the office punch, but those might leave you in the hospital. This one, this will be long and slow and painful.

But there is a way out.

Of course, you didn’t think I was just going to let you dangle in the wind, didja?

Get on the phone, make reservations at Little Italy and then head over to Empire and take in the Dolphin Players Valentine’s offering, Love Letters.

No there are no car chases and yes there is a lot of talking and stuff about feelings and problems and the things that happen while you are waiting to have the life you always thought you’d have.

And that is what will get you off the hook.

This show is a two man, well actor, only one of which is actually a man and that is a good thing or it would be a political program instead of a thoughtful, painful, insightful look at the way love or the missed opportunities make life twist and turn.

The theater is the old Sunset Theater movie house brought back to life by the efforts of the Dolphin Players and anyone they could dragoon into helping convert the old flicker palace into a working boutique “in the round” intimate in your face theater.

No I didn’t count the seats. I’d say about fifty is a full house and that is what they deserved to have for this production. The stage is bare save for a table, two chairs and a coupla book rests.

That way you have to pay attention to what is said and not what is being done to make you think they are saying something profound. The words are the music in any theater and these words are pretty tuneful.

Sitting feet away from the actors makes for some pretty powerful connections with the audience and Sunday afternoon’s audience was rewarded with a good and delightful reason to be connected.

No silly, I won’t tell you a thing about what is said go and listen for yourself and if you get out of the doghouse and back in the big house this might just do the trick.

The theater is located at 580 Newmark, that’s a block before it becomes Cape Arago Highway and the number is (541) 808 2611 so call and find out all of the details and make your plans for a night of delight or and afternoon of culture and if you do it quickly you might just be forgiven for ducking the whole Valentines deal.