Love, Loss and What I Wore opened last Tuesday night at the Panasonic Theatre in Toronto. It's a five-woman show about clothes, growing up and how clothes shape their experience.

The play is more of a dramatic reading then a full stage production. The cast is comprised of Paula Brancati (Jane on Degrassi and Jenny on Being Erica), Andrea Martin (SCTV/Second City veteran), Louise Pitre (who starred in Mamma Mia! and Toxic Avenger), Sharron Matthews (cabaret performer) and Mary Walsh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes).

The production will feature different (five-member) all-star casts who will perform the piece in four-week cycles. Come August 10, Love, Loss and What I Wore will feature Lauren Collins, Wendy Crewson, Cynthia Dale and Margot Kidder.

Each performer brings to life the trials and tribulations, failures and family relations endured in the context of that daily conundrum: What to wear?

There's a lot of clever writing and a handful of funny lines, culled from sayings remembered from your mother growing up. One of the most memorable mentioned in the show being, "You look like a waitress at a Hungarian restaurant."

Martin delivers some of the best lines, including a tirade about her hate for her purse. Perhaps this show would have more continuity and charisma if she'd perform the entire thing herself.

Love, Loss and What I Wore is the brainchild of sisters Nora and Delia Ephron. Between them, they've written some great romantic comedies, including the You've Got Mail, Julie & Julia and When Harry Met Sally.

While mostly amusing throughout, this show isn't much more than a series of anecdotes strung together, forming a rather loose narrative. As a result, this Karen Carpenter-directed production, in spite of its funny and touching moments, comes across rather threadbare.

Love, Loss and What I Wore continues until Sept. 4th at the Panasonic Theatre (651 Yonge St.) Tickets are $35-$85.

Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.