Love Song

Synopsis

Beane is an exile form life - an oddball. His well-meaning sister Joan and brother-in-law Harry try and make time for him in their busy lives, but on one can get through. After Beane's apartment is burgled, Joan is baffled to find her brother blissfully happy and tries to unravel the story behind Beane's mysterious new love Molly.

Our Review:

5 December 2006

This is an odd, intriguing little play, written by American author John Kolvenbach, premiered earlier this year at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, in which a mysterious young holy fool, Beane, falls in love with the girl, Molly, who has burgled his not-worth-burgling apartment.

Beane – no relation of Rowan Atkinson’s Mr Bean - has a sister, Joan, who leads a busy professional life, although we do not know what she does. Joan’s husband, Harry, is also worried about Beane, but not so much. They live in a sleek, well-appointed home, whereas Beane’s ceiling descends slowly, as if to crush him. Molly may or may not exist. Once bolted on to Beane’s life, she becomes his own mirror image. She wears the same clothes as him. She keeps his cup in her pocket and kisses it. As an architect-hating thief, arsonist and all-purpose “liberator” she also shows loner Beane how to live. He becomes verbose and decides to try “people.”

Thus expressed, baldly and literally, the play sounds...

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Latest User Review

62.56.98.226) - 27 January 2007:

An absolutely charming play with, it seemed to me, the concept of acceptance at its heart. I don't want to give away the twist, but the final scene between Joan and Beane was heartbreaking. She loves him for who he is, however unconventional, so she was happy to accept, and even encourage, his flights of fancy, provided it made him happy. And Beane's happiness had such a positive effect on Joan and Harry's marriage. A delightful evening that we all enjoyed (ranging in age from 26 to 72). Super performances all round, with Kristen Johnston's comic timing a particular pleasure....

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