If you go
* What: “i <3 u” by Ocoee Theatre Guild.* When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Feb. 10-11 and 17-18.* Where: The Venue Creekside, 527 Inman St. W, Cleveland, Tenn.* Admission: $10.* Phone: 423-472-8896.* Website: www.OcoeeTheatre Guild.com.
Michael De Backer, left, and Dan Buck wrote and will star in "i < 3 u," a musical comedy about online dating, to be presented in its world premiere by the Ocoee Theatre Guild.Ocoee Theatre Guild will bookend Valentine's Day with a two-weekend run of a play pulled from the modern dating scene.
The title, "i < 3 u," will be instantly recognizable to text-savvy millennials as shorthand for "I Love You." For the not-so-text-savvy, the less-than symbol attached to the number 3 forms a heart, < 3, in the same way a period and right parenthesis create a smiley face, :).
The title is not the only quirk of the musical comedy, which was written and will be performed by Michael De Backer and Dan Buck.
The action revolves around a hapless hero who, with the help of a trusted friend, ventures out into the world of online dating, a phenomenon familiar to young and old alike. The setup uses three volunteer members of the audience as the impromptu recipients of the date seeker's online questions. Their exchanges, part scripted and part improvised, create a series of humorous encounters between audience and actors.
"You are not required to participate in the action, but we can guarantee you'll be howling with laughter," Candy Tapper, president of the OTG board of directors, says in a news release.
It's recommended for anyone, she says, "who has attempted online dating or has relatives and friends who have been trying to find a love mate."