It seems only proper that I would be writing about love and relationships on the weekend of my ninth anniversary to the little woman. Only married people would understand when I say that it feels like we have been married forever and just a day all at the same time. It just seems like we have always been together, and our lives were so very different than from what they are now. Oh, if I knew then what I know now I would never have done some of the incredibly stupid things I have done over the years. But those same years have brought a lot of fun, two children, a spoiled German shepherd named Sidda Lee, and a parade of cats, rabbits and now a hamster named Max. We have traveled around the world and walked around our neighborhood.



It was a time of reflection the whole week as the milestone neared. So maybe it is kismet that I find myself writing about relationships since Capital Playhouse's current production of an off-Broadway hit, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," is all about relationships. This is a perfect show for Valentine's Day since it will get couples talking about the what is and the what should-bes of their relationships.



This award-winning show ran for 10 years in New York and is fairly simple since it surrounds the stories of a parade of couples through a series of independent vignettes about the relationships that play out during the passing years through marriages, children and loss and love again. Each story is told through song that ties the messages all together. The play was a hit when it was produced at Tacoma Musical Playhouse three years ago, and it is a hit now as Capital Playhouse stages it. However, the current one is much saucier than the prior version.

See it now since it ends this weekend. "I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change" runs at 7:30 p.m. daily through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Capital Playhouse, 612 E. Fourth Ave., Olympia. Tickets are $21 to $31 and available by calling 360.943.2744 or on the Net at www.capitalplayhouse.com.

Tacoma improv

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a soft spot for improv, so I have to give a quick shout to Ubiquitous They comedy troupe that will be presenting a one-night run this weekend at Tacoma Actors Guild's rehearsal space next to the main theater.



The new kids on the block started performing at the University of Puget Sound two years ago and now perform regularly. Also on the playbill will be Ghosts And Liars, a group that includes former members of Some by Sea.



Doors open at 8:30 p.m., and the performance begins at 9 p.m. The music will be first and then the improv. Admission is $5 with all proceeds from the show going to support TAG. See it at the rehearsal studio of the Theatre on the Square, located at 915 Broadway, in downtown Tacoma.  Visit tacomaactorsguild.org for more information.

“The Seven Year Itch”

And the last play on my list of mentions about relationships is "The Seven Year Itch" by George Axelrod, which is playing at Tacoma Little Theatre. This is a telling little comedy about Richard Sherman. He's a workaholic New Yorker who finds himself at home while his family takes a summer vacation. His life changes after a flowerpot falls from a balcony and almost kills him. He then makes a choice to enjoy more of life.



The play was made famous when a spunky starlet by the name of Marilyn Monroe starred in Billy Wilder's version of the show in 1955.



The cast includes Chris Cantrell as Sherman, Lisa LeVan as Helen Sherman, Harrison Deatherage as Ricky, Allison Strickland as Miss Morris, Amanda Westbrook as Elaine and The Girl's Conscious, Emilie Rommel as The Girl, Michael Dresdner as Dr. Brubaker, and Joel Nicholas as Tom and Richard's Conscious.



"The Seven Year Itch" runs through Feb. 25 with performances at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for students, seniors and military, and $16 for children 12 and under. Call 253.272.2281 extension14, or visit www.tacomalittletheatre.com.  The theater is located at 210 North I St. in Tacoma.