Ready for their debut, ‘The History of Dating’ will be officially out for the public to see on September 26-27 at 7PM and on the 28th at 5PM.
By: Yoselin Reynoso-Lozano and Laysha Vargas-Guizar
‘The History of Dating’ is, in summary, the whole entire history of dating. This play is presented as a lecture taking you through many different time periods and showing how dating probably was at the time, taking you all the way back to prehistoric times. The play comes up with comedic origins for simple dating traditions now, such as why chocolate is now the go-to gift to get.
Photo N. Miller/Gigantea
The play starts off with a very awkward and nervous modern date, and we are introduced to our narrators. Playing Professor Curio is Flyn Olson, ‘25, who is the more serious and professional one unlike Professor Amore, played by Katy Robles, ‘25, who is more upbeat and silly.
Robles’ performance is a highlight of the show, her expressiveness goes along greatly with Olson’s more stiff character. The way they both bounce off of each other is super endearing to watch, the dynamic of being opposites while still working together is very well executed.
Due to being shown many different time periods, the play isn’t one continuous story, however, the students who play in each segment really make their part stand out and make it unique. It really makes you want to watch more, to see how a certain time period is going to be portrayed and play out.
Just like real dating, some of these characters have to face the hard reality of rejection. However, unlike real dating, how some of these characters get rejected is absolutely hilarious.
My personal favorite segment was the western era of dating which showed an amazing example of this. First of all, the acting was absolutely fabulous. I loved the western accents along with the physical comedy they brought to the wild west.
The segment shows how the hero doesn’t always get the girl, and it’s done by Lola Sullivan, ‘28, Samantha Molina, ‘26, and David Sanchez-Hernandez, ‘27, these performances are a huge highlight of the show.
Photo N. Miller/Gigantea
Aside from the amazing performances from the actors, the engagement with the audience brings another level of entertainment to the play. I enjoyed the “Aww” and “Booo” signs along with the various run-arounds in the theater by the actors.
The comedic timings are great and make you even more invested into whatever era we’re seeing displayed.
Costumer, Melina Carrillo, ‘25, did such a great job on costumes. I felt like every outfit picked was the best outfit for the time era it represented. Xavier Negrete’s, ‘26, cupid outfit was truly stunning along with Carrillo’s maiden outfit and Art Salazar’s, ‘25, shiny knight outfit. They’re so eye-catching and enhance the audience’s immersion of the time era they’re displaying.
‘The History of Dating’ is such a fun show to watch. Its comedic take on dating throughout time shows tropes people might fall into, one way or another. It’s relatable, but in a lighthearted way. The performers really put on a fantastic show that is entertaining and engaging, making this play a must see.
Tickets can be purchased here, it might even be the best place for a date.
Laysha Vargas-Guizar
Laysha Vargas-Guizar is a writer in Journalism 2. Editor of Arts & Entertainment, they host the Everything Entertainment Podcast along with their co-host Aiden Lupian.
Yoselin Reynoso
Yoselin Reynoso '25 is currently in her second year of writing for the Redwood Gigantea. She enjoys reading and is excited about what Redwood Gigantea has in store for her.
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