Love Song is described in its program as a romantic comedy, and although the play has elements of love and humor, they are not delivered quite as promised. For example, the title might lead you to expect a certain plot format; two romantic leads fall head over heels in love, and despite some (usually comical) adversity, inevitably end up together. You might also predict a certain tone; light, comic, verging on the melodramatic. In actual fact, the only thing you should expect from Love Song is that it will defy your expectations.

The strange twists and unnerving poignancy of Love Song might not surprise long-term fans of the Dragon Theatre. This independent venue is known for minimalistic sets, unknown playwrights, quirky scripts, and talented, if small, casts. Love Song delivers these traditional Dragon Theatre characteristics on all accounts. There is not one weak performance among the four actors, and Ron Talbot especially delivers an engaging performance as the questionably unstable Beane.

The true star of Love Song, however, is the script by the relatively unknown John Kolvenbach that consistently teeters on a smudged line between darkest comedy and deepest tragedy. The plot, too, is changeable, switching between absurd sequences and painfully realistic ones without the slightest of warnings.

The story weaves its way around four characters. Harry and Joan are a long time married couple, irritated with each other and the state of their lives. These two are easily the most grating characters, despite representing a typical outlook and way of life. Beane is Joan’s maladjusted brother, who silently endures the world alone in a windowless apartment. He also eats out of a cup, which apparently tells us everything we need to know about his character. Anyways, everything changes the day Beane returns to his apartment to find Molly, a possibly nonexistent, aggressive, and anarchic thief who promptly becomes the love of his life. Beane appears to have turned his life around. He quits his dreary job and becomes more talkative and assertive, much to the dismay of his controlling sister. Kolvenbach then goes on to explore the relationships between the two couples, and between the brother and sister, leading the audience to question how many of their interactions are sincere, and how many are the product of literal insanity.

The clichés, then, in Love Song are not those of a romantic comedy, but instead the somewhat tiring pompous questions of – Who is actually crazy, the insane or the reasonable? – and – How is love truly defined? However, the production avoids what might have easily become a weighty social commentary by way of truthful performances and quick-witted humor. The result is a balanced play whose masterful pacing and varied tones contribute to an overall enjoyable and thought provoking evening out.
Love Song will not be to everybody’s taste, and is definitely to be avoided if you want a fluffy, thoughtless piece of entertainment. But if you like your comedy dark and your reality ambiguous, then perhaps give Love Song a try.