Collaborative Artists Ensemble presents the West Coast Premiere of “How I Fell in Love,”

Photo by Steve Jarrard. Todd (Austin Iredale) and Nessa (Meg Wallace) console each other as they both seek their ideal romantic partner in the City of the Angels.

Collaborative Artists Ensemble presents the West Coast Premiere of the modern romantic comedy “How I Fell in Love,” by Joel Fields, the producer/writer of the immensely popular and critically acclaimed television series “The Americans,” from Oct. 17- Nov. 16 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre, located at 5636 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles. The production is directed by Steve Jarrard by special arrangement with the author. Featured in the cast are Austin Iredale, Desiré Noël, Casey Sullivan and Meg Wallace.

According to D.H. Lawrence, “We have made a great mess of love since we made an ideal of it.” “How I Fell in Love” centers on two lost souls, Nessa and Todd, each haplessly seeking their ideal romantic partner as they stumble into adulthood alone. When they accidentally find their way into each other’s lives while seeking professional help, they soon discover their individual stories may be more intertwined than they could ever have imagined, leading each to start questioning the meaning of fate, friendship, and true love. Can two people not attracted to each other actually be perfect life partners? With the audience acting as their sounding board, Nessa and Todd’s story unfolds amid the many twists and turns in their search for true love and happiness – despite their neuroses!

Much like “Annie Hall” is a love letter to the City of New York, “How I Fell in Love” celebrates modern love and its challenges in and around Los Angeles. Audiences will certainly recognize many locations in the play from McCabe’s Guitar Shop to Topanga Canyon, The Bodhi Tree to the Venice Canals and Molly Malone’s Irish Pub, bringing back memories of their own loves lost and found in the City of the Angels.

Tickets are $20 with a $5 discount for seniors and full-time students. To purchase tickets by phone, persons interested can call the box office at (323) 860-6569. Persons may also purchase tickets online at http://www. plays411.com/inlove or at the door one hour prior to curtain. A limited number of half price tickets will be available on Goldstar. And why not make plans to enjoy a great meal at any of the wonderful restaurants just a few blocks away in Larchmont Village or near Paramount Studios before or after the show?

People interested in becoming involved with Collaborative Artists Ensemble, can email collaborativeartistsensemble@ gmail.com. Persons interested can also follow us on Twitter at @collaborativear and “like” us on Facebook.

After premiering at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Fields’ romantic comedy “How I Fell in Love,” received its New York debut at the Abingdon Theatre in 2011. Fields received the Abingdon’s 2009 Christopher Brian Wolk Award for excellence in playwriting. Fields has served as writer-producer for numerous television series including “Ugly Betty,” “Raising the Bar,” “Over There,” and as writer/executive producer on FX’s critically acclaimed series “The Americans.”

Fields shares, “How I Fell in Love” was written as “I struggled with a sudden avalanche of transitions: professional, artistic, and romantic. In the midst of this struggle I found myself returning more and more to the idea that for me life is best understood as a story, that events and relationships only truly make sense later, upon reflection. Of course, life is not lived in reflection and life’s challenges do not come with intrinsic perspective. But the idea helped me dig through that period, and in the process this play emerged.

My hope is that the piece can be more than an emotional romantic-comedy “date night” entertainment— that it can also, through its fun and drama, make people think about their own lives and loves, about the decisions they’ve made in the past, and most importantly about the decisions they are making in their lives here and now. After all, at their very best that is what both good relationships and good theater should do.”

Collaborative Artist Ensemble was founded in 2007 to create the opportunity for passionate theater artists to come together to create works that challenge and provoke both the artists as well as the audience. Currently in their Seventh Season, “How I Fell in Love” is the company’s 14th production. For more information, persons interested can visit www.collaborativeartistsensemble.com.

Steve Jarrard is a Southern California native and grew up in the business. Jarrard is an integral component of Collaborative Artists Ensemble, currently serving the Managing Director of the company, and has directed 11 of their 14 previous productions.