FUNDRAISER FOR THE KATE: “LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE”

Every woman has items in her closet that scream familiarity and comfort, items that will never be consigned to a Goodwill store or, heaven forbid, tossed out with the trash. The joy of donning such a wardrobe essential is symbolic of love and devotion. Did you ever dream that the items hanging pristinely in your closet could be the subject of a play, a comedy with bittersweet moments at that? Come to The Kate in Old Saybrook, dressed however you desire, for an inside look at Nora and Delia Ephron’s fashionably chic take on women and their wardrobes “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” on Thursday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 16 at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 17 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 18 at 2 p.m. These performances are a gift to The Kate, the Katharine Hepburn Theater, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook, from the Saybrook Stage Company who have been calling the Kate their theatrical home since their founding in 2011. Founder, director, producer and actress Terri Corigliano, with her husband Cosmo, wanted to create a shoreline theater eleven years ago. Now, with the pandemic, she feels this is a wonderful time to thank The Kate with a fundraiser. According to Terri, "I saw this piece performed a number of years ago and it made such an impression on me. I laughed out loud at so many of the anecdotes and the style of the piece really enables the actors to connect with the audience on such a personal level -- it's like a relaxing evening out with your best friends. Ever since then, I wanted to bring it to The Kate's stage and this summer gave us the perfect opportunity. Now more than ever, we need to focus on unity and how much we all need each other. So many of our stories and feelings are universal. Finally, we can reconnect, laugh and enjoy each other's company.” Based on a book by Ilene Beckerman, the sisters Ephron expanded the themes by inviting a hundred friends to write a monologue about identity and clothing and the result is twenty-eight stories performed by five actresses, in this case Terri Corigliano, Kelly Boucher, Mary Corigliano, Leslie Singer and Karen Gagliardi, in a series of vignettes. What is the proper attire for a high school prom and does it depend on the cuteness of your date? Maybe you have a favorite purse that goes with any outfit or a pair of shoes that compliment any style. Or do you have the ubiquitous little black dress that completes you no matter the occasion? Help the Saybrook Stage Company celebrate The Kate. For tickets ($15-20), call 860-510-0453 or online at www.thekate.org. Also watch for the January 2022 Saybrook Stage Company production of “The Man Who Came To Dinner” at The Kate, of course, by visiting www.SaybrookStage.org. Come out of your closet and hang on to some marvelous “material” memories, where men can collect some valuable “insights,” in this delightful, heartfelt, and intimate collection of monologues and ensemble pieces about females and their fashions.