Even people who’ve never dealt with an online dating service will be amused by Luciann Lajoie’s wry, witty one-woman show at .
* * * comedy
Mind you, this does not mean that “Date” would be a good show to see on your first date, especially if you’re just meeting someone from Match.com, eHarmony, OKCupid? or other popular online dating services. Awkward!
But Lajoie’s insights, bolstered by video testimonies from a who’s who of Denver actors, are dead-on. Samuel Johnson’s dry definition of second marriages — “the triumph of hope over experience” — also applies to those who fall for the lures of Internet dating sites.
Her script is based on journalistic research, meaning her own (unfortunate) experiences in the online dating world, along with others who volunteered their war stories.
Lajoie bounces between anguishing “What is WRONG with me?” and the promise of a new company. So Match.com didn’t work out? Let’s try eHarmony! Or JDate!
The two constants here, as in politics, are hope and lies. When Lajoie first composes her profile, she’s honest about her taste in music (Nina Simone) and pastimes (shopping!). The response to her candor: Deafening silence.
She turns to other battle-scarred veterans of Internet dating for advice, shared via video snippets, and learns to substitute “Springsteen” for “Simon,” and “hiking” for “shopping. Then the floodgates open, which is both good and bad news.
Lajoie isn’t the only one whose profile contains a fib or two. She hears about a survivor whose date only pretended to be Jewish. Then from a desperately lonely woman bilked out of $500,000 by a man who seemed to be so sweet that she couldn’t bring herself to believe he was a con artist.
Men share equally dismaying stories, apart from one cocky dude whose honesty is not his best quality: He assesses potential dates strictly by their online photos, and dismisses anyone whose photo isn’t a perfect 10. (Actually, that’s a plus for the discards; he’s a creep.)
“Date” is not a great date-night show, unless your partner has a flexible, forgiving sense of humor, and a shared sense of relief that you’re both out of that particular pool. But it would make for an excellent evening with friends, and at about 90 minutes, it’s short enough to allow for a postmortem involving adult beverages afterward.
Claire Martin: 303-954-1477, cmartin@denverpost.com or twitter.com/byclairemartin
“DATE: REAL ONLINE LOVE AFFAIRS” Written and performed by Luciann Lajoie. Directed by Sabin Epstein. Film directed by Jamie Pelz. With Ashlee Temple, Sabin Epstein and Allison Horsley. Throughnov. 22 at the Avenue Theater, 417 E. 17th Ave., Denver. Tickets $26.50 at avenuetheater.com or 303-321-5925
Date
Luciann Lajoie’s funny, painfully accurate assessment of online dating mishaps.
