A Different Love List

By Guest Blogger: Shanara Gabrielle
Shanara plays Justine in The Love List

If Justine had a Love List for Bill:
1. sweetly gullible
2. is a good influence on his friends
3. intelligent
4. a natural red-head
5. a lover of statistics
6. a suspenders kind of guy
7. cautious
8. excitable
9. adorably nerdy
10. realistic, based in reality

Andrea's Love List for Leon:
1. a guy's guy
2. likes coffee and cake
3. tries really hard at darts
4. looks great in hawaiian shirts
5. likes good whiskey, but will drink any whiskey
6. irreverent
7. loves steak and eggs
8. writes books that I can read in a day
9. likes his alone time
10. he recognizes his mistakes

Justine's Shoes

By Guest Blogger: Shanara Gabrielle
Shanara plays Justine in The Love List


Yes, those shoes hurt my feet a little. But for fabulous shoes, we women will sacrifice a lot.

So, ladies, here it is:

• Pair #1 – the black patten leather, 4 ½ in heels: GUESS
• Pair #2 – the t-strap teal and maroon be-jeweled wedges: STEVE MADDEN
• Pair # 3 – the lacy black mules that every woman slips on after she's slept in on Saturday: FREDERICK'S OF HOLLYWOOD
• Pair #4 – the clear floral accent jelly's (at least that what we called them in the 80's): STEVE MADDEN
• Pair #5 – the fabulous cream strappy number, that are actually the easiest to walk in!: ALDO
• Pair #6 – a reprise of #2
• Pair #7 –for the curtain call I reprise #5

...and after the show, if you see me in the lobby, you'll often catch me in my “backstage slippers”!

Review: Pitch Weekly

American Heartland finds fun in science
By Grace Suh
The Pitch
Tuesday, Sep 28 2010

Playwright Norm Foster is to theater as Danielle Steel is to literature: a happily prolific producer of reliable, mainstream entertainment who makes no pretension to art. Foster's specialty is light theatrical comedy; he has churned out dozens of slick, formulaic, punch-line-stuffed crowd pleasers. Thus the sobriquet (sometimes said as praise, sometimes as condemnation): "the Canadian Neil Simon."
Foster obviously doesn't mind the comparison. The first scene of Love List, one of his most popular comedies, begins as a fairly direct rip-off of Simon's The Odd Couple, with the flattest of mismatched stock characters (fussy, factoid-obsessed statistician Bill and his earthier, commercial-novelist best friend, Leon), a conventionally wacky conceit (Leon signs up confirmed bachelor Bill with a matchmaking service run by a Gypsy) and predictable jokes.
Like an eHarmony questionnaire for dummies, the dating service requires only that patrons list their top 10 criteria for the mate of their dreams (i.e., the Love List). The reluctant Bill fills in the list with qualities such as "ambitious" and "speaks her mind" (and protests Leon's inserted contribution: "likes kinky sex"). Premise in place, the audience is set for an evening of groaners. And yet, there must be something in that old magic after all because, scene by scene, Love List opens up, surprises and, somehow, actually works.
Much of the credit for Love List's success belongs to its three fantastic actors. Veterans Sean Grennan and Scott Cordes exhibit effortless timing and chemistry as flustered workaholic Bill (Grennan) and brash, bawdy Leon (Cordes). But it's St. Louis import Shanara Gabrielle (making her Kansas City debut) who takes the star turn, playing Justine, the embodiment of Bill's love list. A modern-day Judy Holliday, Gabrielle portrays Justine with just the right dizzy charm and effervescent obliviousness. And like slapstick heroines of old, she's comfortable using her bombshell body for comic effect. She gets an assist from director Paul Hough, who deserves credit not only for the production's polished, zippy pace but also for its costumes, which show an impressively nuanced understanding of sluttiness.
Justine's welcome arrival in the second scene sets off a chain reaction that gives the lightweight but well-constructed Love List its dramatic momentum. The play picks up steam as Bill and Leon gradually figure out the workings and consequences of the list. The list subsequently undergoes multiple revisions (as does Justine). Interesting complications result when, like Frankenstein's monster, Justine begins to have consciousness (and criteria) of her own. Gabrielle gets to show off split-second timing as her character turns, and turns again, on a dime.
For a breathless scene or two — and almost despite itself — Love List comes dangerously close to making us think. Big-boob jokes bump up against Schrödinger's cat, parallel universes and cosmic determinism (what Leon describes as "a hole in the cosmic pie crust"). Not to worry. Time wrinkles, and quick as a flash, we're back to Neil Simon territory and a neat but satisfying conclusion. Like Justine, Love List is clever enough to avoid being too smart but is just smart enough to allow your inner snob to enjoy itself.

Review: Johnson County Sun

Strong performances make “Love List” memorable
by Russ Simmons
Johnson County Sun
September 29th, 2010


As Stephen Sondheim aptly put it, "You gotta have a gimmick if you want to get ahead."
Playwright Norm Foster came up with a pretty clever gimmick for his situation comedy "The Love List," now playing at the American Heartland Theatre.
In a twist reminiscent of John Hughes’ 1985 film "Weird Science," a couple of guys accidentally concoct the "perfect woman" only to discover that perfection isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Upon arriving home after his 50th birthday dinner, a nerdy statistician named Bill (Sean Grennan) is given an unusual present by his pal Leon (Scott Cordes).
The gift is a form to fill out for a dating service run by a strange gypsy woman. Bill is to list, in order of importance, 10 traits to define the perfect woman. Reluctantly, Bill fills out the form and shortly thereafter,voila! A gorgeous, smart and successful woman named Justine (Shanara Gabrielle) appears at Bill’s door.
Carrying on as if they’d been involved in a lengthy affair, Justine makes herself at home. At first, Bill thinks that someone is putting him on. Soon, however, he learns that he can affect Justine’s behavior any time he erases an item from the list and inserts a new trait.
This Frankenstein-meets-Henry Higgins experiment starts going terribly wrong as Bill discovers that getting what you wish for can be dangerous. While there are some funny moments in Foster’s script, his ideas are generally better than their execution.
Grennan makes Bill an awkward everyman, a decent soul caught up in existential dilemma. Cordes provides the right note as Leon, an unapologetic chauvinist who isn’t nearly as cynical as he claims to be. Gabrielle is a real find, displaying great timing and intelligence as the woman of Bill’s dreams. Her ability to quickly shift gears as Bill manipulates his list is an impressive demonstration of sharp acting skills.
Paul Hough’s direction is rock solid. He’s proven able to improve upon the material he’s been given. Thanks to strong performances and slick execution, another otherwise forgettable play is made memorable.
"The Love List" runs through Oct. 24 at the American Heartland Theatre, 2450 Grand Ave., Kansas City, Mo. For tickets, visit www.ahtkc.com or call (816) 842-9999.

Review: Great Comedy at American Heartland Theatre

By Robert MacLean
Johnson’s County Gazette

So, you wanted to sit back and have a good laugh or two. The Love List at American Heartland Theatre at Crown Center is just what you need. You’ll get far more than a laugh or two. Your side may hurt afterward from laughing.

Only three actors bring to life a cleaver, rather simple idea. One man gets his friend to complete a list of ten qualities he’d like to find in a woman. Before he can turn in the list to a so-called dating service, Shanara Gabrielle, playing Justine, shows up with all those qualities. The med catch on slowly and can’t believe that is happening. Some incredible comedic situations begin to occur as the two men struggle with some of the deeper meanings of life (sort of). Sean Grennan and Scott Cordes bring these fellows to life. You’ll enjoy the comedic abilities of these two. Gabrielle, however, runs away with the show as a beautiful woman who changes each time the men erase and replace an item on the list. For an actress, that’s got to be fun.

Heartland is easy to get to. You park free in the parking garage and walk just steps to the theatre. They don’t give us heavy, avant-garde drama, just the light-hearted productions we need these days. And they do it so vey well.

The Love List runs through October 24. Tickets: 816-842-9999

THE Question...

By Guest Blogger: Shanara Gabrielle
Shanara plays Justine in The Love List

Usually, THE question that the audience asks about any particular show has something to do with “how did you memorize all those lines”? Now, I actually love that question from audience members because I think I gets at the heart of what we do as actors - at the “how” of becoming a character that says those words in those situations.

But for this show, THE LOVE LIST, it's another question that has become THE question:
What's it like to play a character that has so many different personalities?

Well I tried to get Toni Colette to write for the AHT blog on what it's like to play her character on “The United States of Tara”, but since she hasn't yet responded, I guess you'll have to hear from me. Well, the answer is simple. It's just like acting in anything else, except more fun! Our task as actors is always to come on stage totally present and exist in the current situation. Justine, my character in THE LOVE LIST, is an expert at that. She comes in to a situation, sees what is there, and responds to that and that alone. She recognizes that she's now tidy and tidy is what she does, she understands that she now loves Leon now and she just adores him, she suddenly likes singing and boy does she! It is actually easier than many other characters in some ways because instead of trying do discover the infinite elements of a character's personality, Justine only has 10 at a time and no more. Now, granted, trying to be any guy's perfect woman is tiring – but at least the list is only 10 qualities, not 100!

...and what's the 2nd most asked question --- “where did you get all those fabulous shoes?” ...next blog has the insight on that one!

What's an actress to do in KC?

By Guest Blogger: Shanara Gabrielle
Shanara plays Justine in The Love List

What's an actress to do in KC?

Well, apparently LOTS! So, last Monday was my first “real” day off since arriving in Kansas City --- you know, during rehearsals and previews, Mondays are usually the day where you work on your lines and process all the notes the director has given. After a successful opening week, I was ready for a real day off. After taking the morning for “life business” and the afternoon for some “catching the last rays of summer” at the lovely Crown Center Westin Pool... it came to happy hour.

Now, not knowing KC, I turned to The Pitch as a guide for my Monday entertainment. So, I ended up at The Majestic, an old 19th century brothel-turned-steakhouse in downtown. What a treat! Not only are their drinks well priced for happy hour, the food on the happy hour menu is delicious! Salmon sliders, risotto balls, and fried green beans - all get an A+ rating from me. But the real treat is the ambiance- a gorgeous dark wood bar, a very informative owner/bartender, and perfectly-cast old-school Kansas City women drinking martinis at 4:30pm. Bram, the house piano player is an extraordinary talent with the kind of freedom, relaxation and ease that all of us artists long for – and he offers the finishing touch on this classy-hole-in-the-wall steakhouse. And by the way, while I was there I learned that this beautiful historic building began as a brothel, then became a speakeasy during the prohibition, and then during the 60's and 70's was mattress store as a facade for a prostitution ring (you know, you could try out the mattress before you took it home – kinda like Bill wants to try-out Justine before he commits). Then became a steakhouse that was apparently a Kansas City staple for many years, and finally was bought about a year ago by the current owner – as a steakhouse with a pretty traditional menu that tries to push the envelope a bit (salmon sliders, not just steak) and stays committed to the local musicians and fosters the old KC Jazz scene. So, my only critique of The Majestic: it needs a face lift, the street presence almost dissuaded me from going in …. lucky for me, it didn't!

Now, my next stop couldn't get farther from The Majestic. If The Majestic is martinis, The Brick is PBR; if The Majestic is risotto, The Brick is hot dogs; if The Majestic is classy ragtime-jazz, The Brick is roots music. Speaking of which, Monday night is Roots music night at The Brick. That means that it is kind of a make-it-up, bring your kids, fake-it-till-you-make-it sort of Jam session. As one of the participants said “it's better than the 500 channels of BS on TV”. True. Well put, sir. But really, the sweet potato fries here were great and the adorable, sorta alternative, totally chill bartender we had was perfect.

And the best thing came later in the night. Karaoke. Oh yes, this girl loves some karaoke. I know, it's trashy, it's stupid, it's often embarrassing, but come on it's FUN! (Justine, my character in THE LOVE LIST, would definitely be a Karaoke fan!) So after presenting my personal versions of “9 to 5” (this was a karaoke favorite before it was put in the show!), “Fever”, and “Let's Hear It for the Boy”, it was time to call it a night. And what a great night it was!

Thank you Kansas City for showing this first-timer a great time.

Review: Kansas City Star

Good cast elevates a shallow script in
American Heartland Theatre's 'The Love List'

By ROBERT TRUSSELL
The Kansas City Star

There’s fluff and then there’s fluff.

“The Love List,” a romantic comedy by Canadian playwright Norm Foster, has less emotional depth than the Weather Channel on a mild day, but Foster writes crisp dialogue and has constructed his script around an entertaining, Twilight-Zonish idea.

The result is a comedy that starts slow but generates increasing laughter from a willing audience with a quirky sense of humor and offbeat plot. This is a commercial play custom-made for regional theaters, but it’s realized with a sense of style.

The American Heartland Theatre production, directed by Paul Hough, elevates the writing with a good cast. Actors Sean Grennan, Scott Cordes and Shanara Gabrielle get the most out of the material, even if their varied acting styles don’t always mesh.

Grennan, a New York-based actor familiar to Heartland audiences as both a performer and a playwright, plays a Bill, a 50-year-old divorced statistician who’s comfortable dealing with numbers but feels ill-equipped to seek female companionship.

His buddy Leon, played with consummate timing by Cordes, is an author of commercial fiction who gives Bill a unique birthday gift: Membership in a dating service. The first thing Bill must do is fill out a form listing all the attributes he wants in a mate.

Leon takes his leave, Bill nods off and before he knows it Justine, a woman he’s never seen before, swoops into his apartment with a bag of groceries ready to make dinner and be a “perfect” mate for the dumbfounded numbers-cruncher. Shanara Gabrielle, making her Heartland debut, lights up the stage with charisma, beauty and a wicked sense of comedy.

The audience figures out much sooner than Bill or Leon what’s happened. Through some strange metaphysical confluence — or, as Leon puts it, “a tear in the cosmic pie crust” — their imagined perfect woman has come to life.

Then they discover that they can alter her behavior by erasing certain qualities on the list and replacing them with others. Gabrielle is most impressive in her ability to make these leaps — from hostile to affectionate, from ambitious to lazy, from hard-nosed to sensitive — seamlessly. She has to change moods more often than she changes costumes.

Yours truly laughed out loud several times on press night, but I found myself wishing that I might see these actors in a show with a just a little meat on the bone. We must take small pleasures where we find them.

Scenic designer Alex Perry’s realization of Bill’s apartment is a nice piece of work. Not only does he vary from the Heartland’s standard template of having opposing doors at stage left and stage right, he creates a classy environment of polished steel and stained wood. Hough takes credit for the costumes, notable principally for the succession of sexy outfits worn by Gabrielle, and Shane Rowse’s lighting adds depth to the set and creates smooth scene transitions.

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/09/16/2227471/good-cast-elevates-a-shallow-script.html#ixzz0zhfRivPH

The Love List - Advanced Photo

Sean Grennan, Scott Cordes and Shanara Gabrielle star in The Love List at AHT.

New Release: The Love List at AHT

American Heartland Theatre Brings
Premiere Comedy The Love List to Kansas City
September 10 - October 24, 2010

Kansas City, MO: American Heartland Theatre opens its 2010-2011 season with a Kansas City Premiere comedy by prolific Canadian playwright, Norm Foster. The Love List is a hilarious play that examines the quest for perfection and the search for love.

What do you get a friend for a 50th birthday present? If he's still single, you buy him a "love list" from the local gypsy. You help him put pen to paper to come up with a list of ten qualities that define the perfect woman and, "Weird Science-style," she appears! But, just as the gorgeous dream woman appears, the scheme starts to go horribly, mysteriously and hysterically awry! It's as if Neil Simon combined The Odd Couple and The Bride of Frankenstein in this insightful and outrageously funny comedy.

American Heartland Theatre brings this charming, romantic comedy to life with three amazing talents including, Sean Grennan who is returning to Kansas City and AHT where he previously appeared in Searching for Eden: The Diary of Adam and Eve, Affluenza and Duck Hunter Shoots Angel. A long-time Chicago resident, his credits there include work with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, The Court Theatre, and The Goodman Theatre. His TV credits include: Law & Order-SVU, Law & Order-Criminal Intent, Early Edition, Unsolved Mysteries, The Human Factor and The Untouchables TV series. Sean's film credits include The Untouchables and Rudy. As a playwright and lyricist, some of Sean's plays have made their World Premiere at AHT, including: Married Alive!, A Dog's Life, and Another Night Before Christmas.

Scott Cordes has been a professional actor and director in Kansas City for more than 20 years. His Kansas City acting credits include work with The Unicorn, The Kansas City Rep, The Shakespeare Festival, The Coterie, New Theatre, Actor's Theatre of KC and at AHT. His directing credits include work for AHT, The Unicorn, The Living Room. A member of all three acting unions, Scott also works in commercials and film.

Shanara Gabrielle is making her American Heartland Theatre debut. Highlights from Shanara's New York City career include: Queenie in The Wild Party (Columbia Stages), Eve in The Truth (Metropolitan Playhouse), Rose in Meet Me In St. Louis (Musicals Tonight), The American Girls Revue (Original NY Cast), Olivia in Twelfth Night (New Day Repertory), Emma in Lady was a Gentleman, Darla in War Bonds (Theatre for the New City), Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Heights Players), Horatio in Hamlet (Piper Productions), and the first national tour of In The Mood. Her TV and Film Highlights include: Conviction, Guiding Light, and independent films: Books & Beans, The Look, and Lucina as well as a number of commercials.

Paul Hough (Direction) has directed more than 40 productions at American Heartland Theatre. Paul holds L.A. Drama Critic's Awards and Chicago Joseph Jefferson Citations for both Direction and Production and a Kansas City Best of Theatre Award for Production. Set design for The Love List is by Alex Perry, lighting design is by Shane Rowse, costume design is by Paul Hough, sound design is by Donna Miller-Brown and props design is by William J. Christie.

Tickets can be ordered online at www.ahtkc.com or through the AHT Box Office at 816-842-9999. Handicapped entry and seating, as well as assistive listening devices, are available at all performances. An ASL-interpreted performance is scheduled for Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 7:30PM.