River Company and Lincoln Theater, collaborating with a staged reading production of the insightful “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” present an intimate collection of vignettes, stories and monologues based on Ilene Beckerman’s best seller on Friday, June 28 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 29 at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta.

Written by sisters Nora and Delia Ephron, “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” is a heartwarming, poignant, and definitely funny, play that uses clothing, its accessories, and the memories those garments trigger woven into stories to which all can relate. If Marie Kondo convinced some of us to purge our wardrobes, “Love, Loss and What I Wore” is an ode to holding on to the memories of all the too-small and unflattering outfits in our wardrobes, because it is these, too, that “spark joy.” This is ultimately a magnificent celebration of life though old but unforgotten clothes. It’s a wry commentary on the pressures women constantly face to look a certain way.

River Company co-directors Eleanor Cade Busby and Nick Azzaretti bring together dynamic and talented Midcoast actors, Dagney Ernest, Christina Belknap, Carole Florman, Judy McQuillen, Zora Margolis, Christine Thalia Anderson, and Laurie Brown, who deliver the experiences of 29 women at various life stages. The stories are personal, intriguing, melancholy, and often funny.

Every story is relatable. Adventures are shared about wearing that first Brownie uniform, or a first prom dress or shopping for a bra with (Ye Gods!) your Dad. Everyone in the audience has a story about shopping for that perfect dress, or what they loved or hated about things they were compelled to wear throughout life. It’s all here, fast paced and packed in 90 minutes, with all the angst, the joy, and the challenges. The audience might hear things their own mother said as they were growing up “You are not leaving the house in THAT,” and “That makes you look too thin” fat, pale ... and on it goes.

A staged reading  requires more attention to the minute details of each speech from the actors. The cast must rely on their own voices and not fancy sets or props. It can feel quite naked. In this piece, fashion is central to the characters’ sense of self. Each woman in the cast brings her own memory of clothing she wore at various times in her life, and rehearsals are alive with laughter and stories. So, directing is simply having the right women in the room to create a bond with one another and with the audience. Nick and Ellie are pleased and honored to guide this amazing group of actresses.

River Company is excited to collaborate with the Lincoln Theater on this production. As with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)” in 2022, their generosity and support is gratifying. The theater's Executive Director Christina Belknap is also a cast member. Technical Director Damon Leibert's skill, knowledge, and good humor will make the visuals, sounds and lights shine bright on this

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for Lincoln Theater members, and $5 for youth 18 and under. All ticket sales are final – nonrefundable and nonexchangeable. All tickets are available for purchase at the door beginning 30 minutes before showtime, or in advance* through Lincoln Theater’s online box office at https://bit.ly/3XbUWNk or lcct.org

*Advance tickets or confirmation emails may be printed for admission, or you may check in with your email address at the theater box office when you arrive.

Lincoln Theater is at 2 Theater St., Damariscotta.