On and Off Broadway

Love, Love, Love

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The title of Mike Bartlett’s new play immediately sets the tone and the theme of his work. Love, Love, Love is the anthem for Kenneth (Richard Armitage of "The Lord of the Rings") and Sandra (Amy Ryan of TV's "The Office".) First meeting in 1969 in England, they are immediately drawn to each other sexually and act upon it. The fact that Sandra is dating his brother is secondary. In fact, she notes, “he’ll thank us for this one day.”

The couple ages over the three acts of the play. Act II jumps ahead 20 years when their relationship has grown a bit stale. Instead of working on it, they quickly dissolve their marriage, indifferent to their two children’s needs. By Act III, once again, it’s love and sex that governs their behavior. The characters don’t age convincingly. They don’t look young enough to have us believe they are 19 in Act I and nor do they look old enough to be in their 60’s by the end.

Kenneth and Sandra are selfish and totally self-absorbed. Actually they are well suited for one another. As a couple, they seem more a product of the “me” generation than ‘flower children” of the 60’s. Sadly≤ their children Rose (Zoe Kazan) and Jamie (Ben Rosenfield) become collateral damage.

As a 16 year old, Kazan spends most of her role exasperated and angry at her parents who don’t listen to her. Kenneth isn’t even sure how old she is while Sandra minimizes her pain. Later, at 37 years old, Kazan again shouts in frustration as she struggles to make ends meet. She blames her parents for her situation and demands that they buy her a house, but they refuse. Jamie has obvious psychological issues which his parents pointedly ignore as they concentrate only on themselves.

Ryan is bubbly, shallow and garrulous. Armitage is leaden; his character is easily manipulated and clueless. It was hard to even feel sympathy for Rose because she is too much of a one-note character, always whining and shouting. They are quite dislikable, and, as a result, it’s difficult to want to spend time with them. It’s hard to care about any of them, let alone love them.