'The Secret History of Love' review: Soul mates

The eternal question of how to find your soul mate is at the heart of "The Secret History of Love," which made its debut on Thursday night at San Francisco's Dance Mission Theater.

Built upon reminiscences gathered by Sean Dorsey from interviews with gay, lesbian and transgender individuals, "The Secret History of Love" is sometimes a tour, sometimes docudrama and occasionally burlesque, although it also leaves a lingering sense that editing down the sprawl of material was difficult. The result is sometimes poignant but can also feel somewhat fractured and episodic.

There are strong performances onstage from Dorsey, along with collaborators Brian Fisher, Nol Simonse and Juan de la Rosa. As a group, the four share a kind of gestalt, moving, interlocking, even breathing with a persuasive consonance that makes the duets, trios and quartets a pleasure to watch.

'The Secret History of Love' review: Soul mates