7 Ways to Say I Love You
Adam Szymkowicz
Love/sick
by John Cariani
Highlights
Synopsis
Love/Sick is a one-act, nine-or-ten-play cycle about love and loss – but mostly loss.
Each play has its own arc and tells the story of a couple at a crossroads in their relationship.
Since each relationship is more advanced than the previous relationship, a larger arc emerges, and the individual plays work together to create a satisfying whole – one that chronicles the life cycle of a typical relationship from meeting through to divorce… and afterwards.
Full of imperfect lovers and dreamers, Love/Sick is an unromantic comedy for the romantic in everyone.
Press Reviews
"Whimsical romantic comedy. In the nine vignettes that make up [the] play, couples meet… or break apart or learn to love each other more.... jokes here are easygoing and snark-free."
— The New York Times
"Sometimes playwright John Cariani looks at the world – actually the worlds of love and relationships – through rose-colored glasses. Just as often he views those worlds through lenses tinted a middling-to-dark gray or maybe a jaundiced yellow… While poking fun at the happily-ever-after notion by means of a strong dose of happily-never-after, Cariani shoots his cockeyed valentines with a quiver full of funny lines. He knows how to keep audiences laughing while passing along disappointing news."
— The Huffington Post
Characters
| Character |
|---|
| WOMAN and a |
| MAN who fall in love at first sight. 2. The Singing Telegram An inexperienced |
| SINGING TELEGRAM MAN who delivers a life-changing singing telegram to an optimistic woman, |
| LOUISE OVERBEE . 3. What?!? |
| BEN , a sweet guy who is surprised that he has fallen in love, and |
| ANDY , the sweet guy he has fallen in love with. 4. The Answer |
| KEITH and |
| CELIA , a groom and bride. 5. Uh-Oh |
| SARAH , a woman who wants to have some fun with her husband, |
| BILL . 6. Lunch and Dinner |
| KELLY and |
| MARK , a successful, seemingly happily married couple. Bonus Scene: Chicken |
| JASON , a man who has some doubts, and |
| MADDIE , a woman who now also has some doubts. 7. Forgot |
| JILL , a woman who wants more than she has, and |
| KEVIN , her husband, who is happy with what he has. 8. Sick of This |
| ABBIE , a hard-working stay-at-home mom, and |
| LIZ , her hard-working wife. 9. Destiny |
| JAKE , a recently divorced man, and |
| EMILY , a recently divorced woman. |
Videos
Love/Sick – Portland Stage
Publication
Publisher Dramatists Play Service
Year 2026
Binding Paperback
Edition 1st
Pages 142
Place New York, NY
Language English
ISBN-13 9780822233596
ISBN-10 0822233592
LCC PS3603.A746 L68 2016
Love/sick is a American comedy play written by John Cariani and published by Dramatists Play Service in New York, NY (2026).
Community Reviews
No community reviews yet
Buy Play
Performance Rights
Available for Licensing
Amateur & Professional
Fee: Minimum Fee: $130 per performance
Restrictions: Major Markets Plus (US) / Standard Plus Add'l Postcodes (UK)
Apply for RightsSimilar Plays
Plays with similar themes, style, and content.
More from John Cariani
More plays from John Cariani that we think you'll enjoy.
