CAPE MAY — Two recently widowed seniors turn to an age-appropriate online dating site to ease their loneliness. Their foray into cyber-dating is hopeful, endearing and laugh-out-loud funny, and audiences practically will them together.
“Kalamazoo,” opening this week at Cape May Stage, is an uplifting, feel-good play that honors the pair’s pasts and embraces their hopes for the future. The play, written by Michele Kholos Brooks and Kelly Younger in 2013, premiered at the Bloomington Playwrights Project the following year.
The times were indeed “a’changin’” when this play debuted. A Stanford University study published that year found that for the first time more matches in the U.S. were made online rather than through family and friends.
“Kalamazoo” follows two 70ish-year-old seniors into totally uncharted waters — online-dating. Peg is a straight-laced Irish Catholic who is an avid birder and a fixture at weekly game nights at her church. Irving is upbeat, funny and Jewish. He enjoys the beach, but only as an excuse to search for lost coins or other treasures he might find with his trusty metal detector. Birds of a feather they are not.
Roy Steinberg, Cape May Stage’s long-time producing artistic director, plays Irv in the production, and Marlena Lustik, an accomplished actor, director and playwright, portrays Peg. Both give compelling performances.
Steinberg and Lustik have shared the stage in several productions at the theater: “Adopt a Sailor” (2021), “The Lion in Winter” (2018), “Barefoot in the Park” (2016) and “Lend Me a Tenor” (2013).
Married for 42 years, they bring a poignancy and authenticity to their roles that have the audience rooting for a happily-ever-after second chance for Irv and Peg.
“This play resonates particularly well with Cape May audiences because many of our retirees are recovering from the loss of a spouse,” Steinberg said. “The message of this play for me is one of my lines in the show — ‘You’re never too old to be young.’”
Josh Iacovelli is guest director for this play. He is also the theater’s set designer, whose impressive skills for bringing stories to life on stage have transported audiences underground on the New York subway system or up on a roof to catch Santa. Iacovelli designed eight sets for this play, using reconfigurable props to suggest a restaurant, hotel, beach, living room, strip club, Four Seasons and bird sanctuary.
“Serving as both director and set designer for this show gave me the opportunity to view this production as a complete visual and emotional journey from the beginning,” Iacovelli said.
Peg hints at the theme of this play minutes into its opening scene.
“I like birds,” she says. “I admire their power to molt mostly, shedding feathers. It must feel so good.”
Peg and Irv are like those birds in this play. They shed old ways, make way for new growth and prepare for new seasons.
“Kalamazoo” is about 75 minutes long and does not have an intermission. Given its mature subject matter, it is not recommended for younger audiences.
Call (609) 770-8311 or visit capemaystage.org for tickets or more information.
By LYNN MARTENSTEIN/For the Star and Wave