STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: THEATRE “In Love and Warcraft”

Just because you can write about love doesn’t mean you know anything about it. It’s more than just choosing the right words to get the emotion or reaction you want.

Written by Madhuri Shekar, In Love and Warcraft is about a college student who is also an avid World of Warcraft player. She makes a little extra cash writing love letters for people who really need them, be they wedding vows or something to say to win someone back. Despite having an online boyfriend (whom her best friend tells her to dump him because he’s a loser), she doesn’t need love in real life.

That is until one day, she meets a new client of hers in need of her love-note writing skills, and she falls hard for him… and the feeling is mutual.

Despite debuting in 2014, the theme of the play is still relevant in this world that’s filled with people who still prefer to be in the digital world over the real one. I’m not sure if World of Warcraft is still within the wide popular conscious, but it’s still being played today.

To me, as someone whose preferred medium is film, the play is probably the first time I’ve read a play that has a three act structure (the script itself even has chapter titles as opposed to something like “act 1 – scene 2” or something like that.) We are introduced to the characters, there is an inciting incident, there is a moment where the main character is at her lowest, leading to a visually and conceptually awesome climax, and finally, the ending. It still has a two-act structure, as the script divides it so.

Speaking of the main character, it’s common to see a character who is not good at love, preferring to be locked into her game. I can definitely see her as someone whom people are going to be divided on: she’s adorable and just trying her best or she’s annoying and she just needs to let her hair down to make herself look more attractive.

Why I think she stands out as this kind of character is that she believes she doesn’t need love, and “love” is a metaphor for reality, and that’s what everyone needs. It’s not like she’s asexual; when she meets her love interest, she is attracted to him. And on a script level, she does come off as very sweet and comfortable with her life.

Her roommate character is the complete opposite: has a life, and maybe has a little too much sex (from the main character’s point of view). They are certainly an odd couple, which is a trope as well, but it works.

I came across the play when I was looking through the Samuel French website, looking through new titles that have been published. With a title like In Love and Warcraft, I had to find out what it was about, especially since games in theatre are rarely explored.

What was going through my head in writing this was whether or not to bring up the fact that they play has a male fantasy aspect to it. Warcraft is involved, a girl is playing it, her roommate is a nymphomaniac, there’s even a scene where she kisses her on the lips (to prove that the roommate is still attractive). I don’t want to just say that “at least a woman wrote this” so there’s some benefit of the doubt; the story works on its own, and the message it wants you to leave with sticks. If you like it, great; if you find it unrealistic and eye-rolling, equally valid. That’s just how stories work.

In Love and Warcraft is a unique story with an element told through a medium that would never explore it. It’s a great read, and based on the photos, it looks amazing to watch live.