What is it to fall in love? And while we’re at it, what does it mean to find The One? How about multiple ones? How many “ones” are there for a single person? And if one chooses to limit themselves to a single “one” how many other possible “ones” are we then closing ourselves off to? June Morrow explores the act of loving and finding love in her one-woman show aptly titled The One.

June plays Jane Love, a woman on the search for love and happiness. In her power-point multimedia presentation, she explores the origins of love including the classic tales of Romeo and Juliet, Rhett and Scarlett, Danny and Sandy and Smithers and Mr. Burns. After she meets the man of her dreams, Dr. Charlie Gilbert (Sean Ballantyne), she involuntarily meets the man of her other much naughtier dreams, yoga enthusiast and one-man theatre machine Julian Nash (Jason Davie). While planning her wedding to her Dr. Dreamy she is flown off to tour the Fringe Festival with her kinky yoga-loving hunk. What is a woman to do?

I’d like to think that art doesn’t imitate my life, but who am I kidding? I prepared myself for a night of humour as my boyfriend Bob and I stopped for gelato before the show. To say that I received a lot more than I had bargained for is an understatement. There were laughs, plenty of laughs, all garnered from the many pop culture references and sexual innuendos that peppered her monologue (which reminds me, I must acquire a copy of The Secretary very soon).

The highlight of the night for me – the many times Jane Love made lust eyes with and subsequently fell into the arms of my boyfriend based solely on our purely coincidental choice of seating near the front. I promised not to let him live this one down. Her interaction with me included asking permission to rub up on my date. Go for it, lady. Then she blamed me (and apparently those like me) for increasing the revenue for Twilight. (Hey, I never paid to see Twilight.) And this is how art imitates my life.

Admittedly, we couldn’t help but love June Morrow’s insight and performance. There wasn’t much not to like. It’s an hour of hilarity and fun that speaks to anyone that has ever been attracted to more than one person at a time. If the idea of an alternative to monogamy has ever crossed your mind, see The One.

Details

– The One is part of the Love and Obsession Festival playing at the Red Sandcastle Theatre at 922 Queen Street East from November 22 to 27.
– Performances are
       Wednesday, November 23 – 7:30 pm
       Friday, November 25 – 7:30 pm
       Saturday, November 26 – 2 pm
       Sunday, November 27 – 9 pm
– Tickets are $15/show or $25 for the double bill on the same night. Ticket reservations can be made by calling (416) 845 – 9411 or by emailing redsandcastletheatre@gmail.com. Cash only.

Photo of June Morrow and Sean Ballantyne by Paul Fegan.