(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – Love/Sick, the latest play by Almost, Maine playwright John Cariani, will receive a staged reading by Berkshire Playwrights Lab on Wednesday, July 10, 2013, at 7:30pm at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center (14 Castle Street, Great Barrington, Mass.).  Love/Sick is composed of a series of ten funny, slightly twisted love stories — some gone wrong and others gone right — that explore life, relationships, and mental health in suburbia.

Cariani is best known for his smash hit comedy Almost, Maine, which since its off-Broadway debut in 2004 has received over 1,500 productions and been translated into nine languages. His latest play, Love/Sick, is composed of a series of ten funny, slightly twisted love stories — some gone wrong and others gone right — that explore life, relationships, and mental health in suburbia. The play asks: How sick are we? How well are we? Who’s to say? Are we better off alone? Or coupled? And — again — who’s to say? From a bride-to-be whose — literally — cold feet are holding up her marriage, to a career-minded couple who forgot to have a baby, Love/Sick is a romantic comedy for imperfect lovers and dreamers.

“Love/Sick received a production in the spring at Portland Stage Company in Maine and is slated for a future production at Hartford TheatreWorks. John approached us, saying he wanted to make some structural changes to the play prior to its next run. It’s unusual for the Lab to develop a play that’s already had a production, but given the trajectory of the play and John’s desire to make revisions, we agreed that the Berkshires would be the perfect stop on its journey,” said Berkshire Playwrights Lab Co-Artistic Director Jim Frangione. “We’re pleased to present Love/Sick with, as always, a great cast to tackle this very funny play.”

John Cariani is an award-winning actor and an accomplished playwright.  As an actor, he has appeared on and off Broadway, in several television shows, and at regional theaters across the country. He got his first break when he was cast in the off-Broadway play It’s My Party (And I’ll Die if I want To), starring Joyce Van Patten and F. Murray Abraham. Since then, he has shared the screen with such legends as Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, and Edward Asner.

 

In 2004, he made his Broadway debut as Motel the tailor in the Broadway Revival of Fiddler on the Roof starring Alfred Molina. His performance earned him an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Tony Award nomination.  His success on stage and on the big screen aside, John is probably best known for his work on television. From 2002-2007, he played CSU Tech Julian Beck on NBC’s long-running drama Law & Order. He also had recurring roles as Professor Otto Bahnoff in the final season of CBS’ Numb3rs and as reporter Michael Falk on the IFC’s The Onion News Network.

 

As a playwright, in addition to Almost, Maine, he is the author of Last Gas, which premiered at Portland Stage Company in 2010 and became the biggest selling three-week run in the company’s history, will be a part of Geva Theatre Center’s upcoming season. Originally from Presque Isle, Maine, Cariani is a graduate of Amherst College, and now lives in New York City.

 

There is no charge for admission; however, Berkshire Playwrights Lab suggests a $10 donation to help offset its programming costs.  For reservations, call 413.528.0100 or visit the Mahaiwe box office in person.