Bernice Afriyie | Arts Editor
Featured image: Elie’s one-woman show pops the bubble of fairytale love stories with energetic and hilarious narratives. | Courtesy of Sh!t I’m in Love with You Again
Casually arranged seats, a lit stage and glittery garments magically transformed Buddies in Bad Times Theatre’s cabaret space for Sh!t I’m in Love with You Again. The musical comedy, written by, directed by and starring Rachelle Elie, with musical accompaniment by Luke Jackson, teased and thrilled audiences from October 18 to 23.
The show started with Elie in a vibrant dress, descending a staircase as she took centre stage. Her gleeful and welcoming demeanor as she made her way through showgoers set the tone for the whole night. Sh!t I’m in Love with You Again was going to be fun, upbeat and relaxed.
No stranger to comedy, Elie filled the room with her sexual jigs and honest storytelling. As Elie glided across the stage and changed her costumes, she shared her love woes and awkward sexual encounters. Her stories of falling in love with a poet and then with her husband, aka “the voice,” resonated with the audience.
The lighting added an important formal element to the performance, following Elie’s every move, adding drama to her stories and illuminating key parts in the show. Even if Elie’s sharp humour and jokes did not connect with all present, the theatrics of the setup—costume, lighting, sound and staging—were aesthetically pleasing.
Elie shares everything in Sh!t I’m in Love with You Again, from her parents falling in and out of love, discovering her own sexuality in adolescence, to getting married, having kids and traveling. This vulnerability, along with guest interactions throughout the show, stressed the importance of love being rooted in communication. The casual and intimate setup could have backfired if audience members didn’t connect with the production, but Elie overcame this with her performance. She maintained eye contact with the audience throughout the night, creating a welcoming environment where people could feel comfortable to laugh, sing along or disagree.
Sh!t I’m in Love with You Again centers around Elie’s energetic performance, but what makes the show special is its message. The comedy show doesn’t shy from diverging from the fairytale story about a man and woman meeting and falling in love. Elie’s one-woman performance shows that, more than anything, love is not about getting your happily ever after.
Elie’s storytelling lets us know that it’s okay to hate your partner at times or to change your mind. It’s okay to leave a relationship that you’re not happy in, as is the case with her mother and father, or try to make things work with your partner as Elie does with her husband. Both are equally acceptable responses to falling out of love.
It’s easy to fall prey to notions of what a relationship, love or partner should look like. Remember that there is no ideal relationship to hold yours up to.
The only measure of your happiness or love is yourself.
When your resolve weakens in February, Elie and Jackson will be putting on a Valentine’s Day Rag Bag Cabaret on February 14. The night promises to dish out music, burlesque, clowns and magic.
