White Jumpsuit Dating
Dating Incorporated is a play about what dating could look like in a dark world run by an emotionless government. As that dreaded age of 30 approaches, if you are not married, engaged or enrolled in Dating Incorporated to become lawfully wed, you are terminated. Married couples spend money and support the economy. Single 30 somethings don’t or so says Dating Incorporated…
This show is based off an interesting concept, one that I think many of us in our late twenties start to fear. It is exaggerated by staging every Dating Incorporated pre-planned date in white jumpsuits and eliminating all emotional connection by referring to the other person as their serial number and clicking “Yes” you like someone or “No” if you don’t. It’s filled with stereotypes and one-liner insights such as “I’ve never loved any woman I’ve ever dated,” “I have no goals in life” and “Women don’t want to date guys who live in garden apartments,” which can be fun and cheeky or they can start to feel like you’re getting hit in the face with a swinging saloon door over and over again.
I like the idea behind this show, but I wish it had been executed more tactfully. Aside from all the anger, shouting and monotonous rants from various characters, there wasn’t much of a storyline. Yes people went on weird dates and yes, someone was trying to not die by being 30 and unmarried…for 55 minutes. Every romantic comedy has taught us that “the person you’re looking for will come along when you least expect it,” but there are more creative ways to show that. I would like to shout out to Claire Biggers and thank her for playing her character, Renee, as a genuine, natural, normal, honest person who had feelings and was not overly dramatic about them, which is hard to say for almost any other character.
I’m a lover of romantic comedies and dating shows, but there’s only so much insecurity a gal can watch unfold without starting to feel uncomfortable herself. I love the concept of this show, I just would have liked to seen it displayed differently.
Dating Incorporated is playing at The Public House Theatre at 8pm on Friday and Saturday nights until November 23rd.
