Love hurts, love isn't easy, love bites and only love can break your heart, as the songs go.
But other songs say love changes everything, love will find a way, love makes the world go round and even all you need is love.
Love isn't one thing, it is everything from familial appreciation to explosive passion, which is why so many theatrical elements have been called into play by the Nechako Community Theatrics Society. Their latest theatrical event is a collection of monologues, various-length plays and short sketches. The feature play even has vignettes within the main story. All of them revolve around romantic love.
"We were looking at what we wanted to do for a next production, what our timelines were, who we had wanting to do some theatre with us, and of course we were looking for fun," said Laura Bennett, who is the club's overseer of this show and also directs a couple of the scripts built into this collection.
"This time of year it is more difficult for us to get commitments from our regular people, because we have a lot of students and a lot of people who have summer plans, so we tailored it for that," Bennett explained.
"By having these smaller bites, the rehearsals could be broken up and it doesn't put too much on anyone's plate, but it adds up to a whole show for the audience."
When they examined all the stories they'd picked to see if a theme could be spotted, they realized quickly that the sparks of love were central to all of them. So they called the whole affair Rocky Road To Romance.
The stories take sidelong looks at love and sometimes twist some old tales into new ones. Ophelia gives some insights into being Hamlet's girlfriend.
Prince Charming confesses a few complaints about the life that looks so perfect on the outside.
A driver starts to have feelings for his GPS unit and just maybe it is reciprocal.
A marriage counseller to the fairy tale stars begins to question the idea of living happily ever after.
Opposites attract, sure, but then they bump into each others' barbs and kinky edges.
Bennett warns that it is not theatre for kids, but it is playful.
"Some of the humour is sarcastic. Some of it is a little dark. We definitely have to call some of it mature content," she said.
In addition to Bennett's direction, sophomore director Debbie Volpiana takes on some of the work in Rocky Road To Romance, and rookie auteurs Kcaileen Elliott and Shantanav Bhowmick also get their feet wet.
The Nechako Community Theatrics Society is an all-amateur and highly inclusive theatre group. Getting dramatic experience for eager community members is their main mandate.
"We do have some absolutely new people, and what's really neat for us is having Shannon Schinkel and Kevin O'Brien acting for us, who are both drama teachers from PGSS," Bennett said.
"I don't think a lot of people see the talent that the drama teachers have because they are so focused on mentoring and bringing out the potential of their students, and not showing their own skills. We love having them for this opportunity."
Rocky Road To Romance has Heather Duff doing stage management and Leland Ash doing sound and lighting. Devon Flynn is the emcee for the evening.
The actors include Schinkel, O'Brien, Jessie Holland, Colin Donald, Chris Donald, Keegan Prosser, Kyrstyn Hartman, Sophie Cote, Erich Engert, Judy Bennett, Judy O'Brien, Karin Beeler, Weston McGee, Evret Kryklywyj, plus all the directors. Most have multiple parts to play.
Tickets are $20 and are available from cast members, at Books & Company, and at the door.
Performances happen on June 1, 2 and 3 at Art Space. The doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m.
A cash concession will be open before the show and during intermission.
