On the night of October 2, the University of North Dakota Theatre opened their fall show “Love/Sick,” which was written by John Cariani and directed by Chelsea Chimilar. The performances ran until October 6. This was the first show of their 2024-2025 season and was an excellent showcase for all those who are involved in UND Theatre. This play is a collection of nine different short, twisted, and comedic plays that all take a different approach to the various feelings that come along with relationships. Each play has one thing in common; they all tie back to the suburban market called Supercenter. 

The first play was called “Obsessive/Impulsive” and followed an interaction between a man played by Cade Pittenger and a woman played by Molly Robb. This comedic run in at the Supercenter was a great opening for the play as it would later all circle back to this moment. The quick and synchronized banter between these characters caught the attention of the audience right away. 

The next play was “The Singing Telegram Man,” which featured Louise, played by Anissa Overson, as she got ready to go out dancing with her date. However, soon the Singing Telegram Man, played by Alexander Collins, showed up to share a message from her date and performed a song that leaves her heartbroken. 

The third play, “What?!?” followed the characters Ben, played by Jace Toutenhoofd, and Andy, played by Sean Mcnulty. These characters have been going out for a while and Ben is ready to take things a bit further, but there is one complication. It starts with Andy not being able to hear when Ben says, “I love you” and ends with a comedically heartful confession about what Andy has been dealing with. 

The next play was called “The Answer” and centered around characters Celia, played by Videesha Perera, and Keith, played by Dylan Scott. We find them on their wedding day as Celia finds Keith with cold feet, or what seems to be cold feet. After much debate, Celia ends up being the one with cold feet, and the resolution is sort of left up to interpretation as they realize they really do not want to get married. 

The final play before intermission was “Uh-Oh.” This thrillingly suspenseful conversation between husband Bill, played by Isaac Anderson, and wife Sarah, played by Lexie Mull, was wonderfully executed and kept the audience intrigued. We follow along as they try to rekindle the spark in their relationship after a year and a half of marriage, and as Sarah convinces her husband that she has gone insane from boredom. 

After a short ten-minute intermission, we got to witness “Lunch and Dinner” between the characters Kelly, played by Anissa Oveson, and Mark, played by Jace Toutenhoofd. This play took a comedic approach to each character needing to find fulfillment through having “lunch” with someone else, which results in a failed attempt to have “dinner” with each other. 

The next play was titled “Forgot” and featured a birthday celebration for Jill, played by Kara Longtin. Her husband Kevin, played by Oliver Van Tiel, was celebrating with her and we soon learn he is much more content with their life than she is. All seemed well until Jill mentioned something about how many candles were on the cake, which leads to a large discussion about their marriage and how somewhere along the way they forgot to have “the baby.” 

The second to last play was a heavier conversion titled “Sick of This” between Liz, portrayed by Lexie Mull and Abbie, played by Tacy Crawford. This couple portrayed a moving performance of what it is like to balance work life and children along with a relationship. 

Many of the plays seemed to not have a clear conclusion but were tied together at the end of the performance in the final play called “Destiny.” This play featured the ex-married couple Emily, portrayed by Tacy Crawford, and Jake, portrayed by Isaac Anderson. The couple reconnects at a random Supercenter store ,which we find out later, is where they originally met and then experienced all of the stories told before this one.  

Overall, this play was a very interesting take on the different struggles and challenges that couples of various kinds face all the time. Each play was comedic, heartwarming, and intriguing all at the same time. Everyone involved, from the directing team to the cast members, stage managers, tech and costume designers, all clearly put their whole heart into these performances and represented UND Theatre exceptionally. 

Nora Lee is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].