Theatre Aspen continues winter program with ‘Love, Loss and What I Wore’

Theatre Aspen is continuing its expanded winter programming with the play “Love, Loss and What I Wore,” on March 15-17 at Paepcke Auditorium. The cast includes Sandy Duncan, Andrea McArdle, Saycon Sengbloh, Krysta Rodriguez, and Sarah Stiles, and will be directed by Hannah Ryan.

The play, which was written by Nora and Delia Ephron and based on the book by Ilene Beckerman, is comprised of a series of humorous and heartbreaking monologues and ensemble pieces about women and the memories sparked by the wardrobes they have worn throughout their lives.

“I’m a big Nora Ephron fan. I have the sort of narrator parts, and she sets up the premise of what this is and how each person has monologues that explain their story about the clothing and growing,” said actor Sandy Duncan who will be appearing in the play. “As I read through the play, I found that certain meaningful outfits since I was a little kid started popping into my head, and I remembered things that I would wear and things my mother would not let me wear. So, this play is also about a connection to your mother and how the relationship works or doesn’t and the dynamics of what goes on between a mother and a daughter.”

Duncan, who is a Tony Award nominee, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Award winner, is no stranger to the stage and boasts a long list of Broadway credits that include “Chicago” (as Roxie Hart), “Canterbury Tales” (Tony Award nomination), “The Boyfriend” (Tony Award nomination, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Awards), “Peter Pan” (Tony nomination), and “My One and Only” (with Tommy Tune and husband Don Correia). 

It’s also not her first time to grace the Theatre Aspen stage, with her last appearance being in the 2011 production of “Becky’s New Car.”

She said she enjoyed being in Aspen and looks forward to returning, though she had a harrowing experience during her last visit when she took a wrong turn while driving on a stormy, rainy night.

“I was in pitch black and found myself driving over a wooden kind of footbridge at 11 at night in a total panic, and I thought, ‘I’m gonna fall on the river. I’m never gonna get out of here,'” she said with a laugh.

Luckily, she didn’t plunge to her death and found her way out to continue her life’s work in the theater.

“I’ve done it since I was five years old, taking dance lessons and doing dance recitals, so it’s been a part of my life and thread,” she said. “Somebody just asked me ‘What do you miss most when you don’t perform?’ I said ‘The audiences.’ That communication is unbelievable, and there’s nothing else that touches it. It’s like a secret agreement.”

For information and tickets: theatreaspen.org/whatiwore