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In Love and Warcraft
Reviewed by Jessica Salans
Artists at Play at Los Angeles Theatre Center
Through October 11
RECOMMENDED:
Four early-twentysomethings battle on their computers in the opening scene of Madhuri Shekar’s In Love and Warcraft, a west coast premiere produced by Artists at Play at LATC. Ace World of Warcraft player, Evie, simultaneously defeats villains while feeding a fellow WoW gamer strategic lines to make amends with his gaming girlfriend. And with a specialty drink pet name and a slap on her ass, he wins her back. Success! Two Conquest Points for Evie!
Shekar’s characters are refreshingly nuanced, modern-day college kids. Evie, (Rosie Narasaki, alternating with Anita Kalathara) is a major gamer, who also has a side business of writing love letters and Facebook wall posts for her clients who lack the vocabulary to woo their significant others. She has friends on and off the screen, including Ryan (an enthusiastic Michael Barnum), her gamer boyfriend in San Diego, and Kitty (well-played by Jessica Jade Andres), her sexually avid roommate. Evie is also a committed virgin, one of the central conflicts of the play, when she falls hard for the handsome Raul (a shy, sincere Justin H. Min). But her reason for not wanting to “give it up” is not from some past trauma or religious conviction. She simply doesn’t want to — a reasonable response for many young women who are more scared of than familiar with their bodies.
Raul initially hires Evie to write a love letter to his girlfriend. Raul’s girlfriend has just become his ex, but Evie doesn’t learn of this until halfway through her romantic letter. Raul, charmed by Evie’s passionate words, asks her to dinner a few scenes later, to which she stammers a “yes” after failing to entice her own online boyfriend to visit her in person. Raul and Evie’s end-of-date kiss makes it clear it is her first. Through much discussion, he reluctantly agrees that their partnership will be sexless, though only if Evie gives up playing WoW.
To its credit, In Love and Warcraft passes the “Bechdel test” — the criterion that demands a story contain at least two female characters that talk to each other for more than one minute about something other than men. Shekar provides a poignant scene between Evie and her female gynecologist, and one with a religious female client who articulates another perspective on a woman’s right to choose when she first has sex.
Director Alejandra Cisneros’s engaging production also passes the “actors-of-color test” by employing a delightfully diverse ensemble, including the talents of Cheryl Umana and Eddie Vona, who don multiple personalities to play a range of hilariously executed characters. Had Cisneros only been able to capture more of Shekar’s nuances and make better use of the playing space, she could have elevated In Love and Warcraft into the realm of excellence.
Artists at Play at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S Spring St., dwntwn; Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun, 3 p.m.; Mon., Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m.; through October 11. Thelatc.org. Running time: 1 hour, 35 minutes.
