We've all heard about love. Love is a many splendid thing. Love is suicide. And according to Penn State alumnus Bruce Pachtman, love is psychotic.

Penn State students will be able to hear all about Pachtman's forays into love when he performs his one-man show Don't Make Me Look Too Psychotic at the Citizens Bank Theatre, 146 S. Allen St. The show opens Friday, Jan. 30 with previews starting Wednesday.

"The play makes the audience ask, 'Why is he sticking with this crazy lady?' " Pachtman said.

The comedic show is based on Pachtman's twisted real-life relationship with a woman named Gloria. Premiering in San Francisco in 1998, it was originally set to run for six weeks, which turned into 68 after word of mouth hit the streets. Since then, Pachtman has also performed the show in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

"It wasn't for a few months that I realized how big this was getting ... when it started selling out," Pachtman recalled. "I just kept performing it and the audiences kept coming. When the magic starts, don't stop it."

Pachtman's longtime friend and fellow Penn State grad Jerry James saw Psychotic a couple years ago, after he fell out of touch with Pachtman.

"I saw the show in Philly and it was terrific," James said. "It was really, really funny and heartrending at the same time. You just get so into it and want to grab him and say, 'Are you nuts? Get rid of this woman.' "

Having graduated from Penn State in 1976, Pachtman has seen his fair share of successes and disappointments. Shortly after school, he took off for New York City, where he and two other PSU grads started a successful comedy troupe. There, he made acquaintances with future stars, going for jogs with Jerry Seinfeld and starring in director Chris Columbus' student film.

Like many aspiring performers, Pachtman made the move to L.A., where he said things quickly "petered out" for him. He began pursuing his second love in life, teaching, which he did for about eight years in San Francisco, his current permanent residence.

Pachtman's life changed when a friend invited him to see a one-man show one night in the mid-'90s. He enjoyed it so much that he began taking classes taught by the playwright and wrote his first 15-minute play about some of his experiences during his years at Penn State. The idea for Psychotic came to him shortly after his relationship with Gloria.

"There are just some people in the world that are not healthy for you to be around," Pachtman said. "She was one of them. Of course, I had my own issues I was dealing with, but that's a big part of the play -- it's about making choices and taking care of yourself."

James said part of what makes Pachtman's stage presence so endearing is his casual demeanor and frank manner.

"He never appears to be acting," James said. "He seems to be just standing there and talking to you like a friend. It's like he was in your living room telling you about this insane story he was going through. And anyone can identify with at least some part of it."

Pachtman describes his dynamic relationship with his audiences as different than most comedians'.

"Some comedians are adversarial with the audience," Pachtman said. "I'm just the opposite. Sometimes audiences are such a knockout and so receptive, so I even started having an audience spokesperson who I'd talk to. It became a natural part of the show."

Although he hasn't seen the show in person yet, Dan Carter, director of the School of Theatre, was influenced by faculty member Joyce Hoffman to bring it to Penn State.

"Joyce showed me a tape of the show and I was like, 'Let's do it,' " Carter said. "It's funny and contemporary. It's really a virtuoso performance from one person and it's hip."

Don't Make Me Look Too Psychotic will hold previews at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28 and Thursday, Jan. 29, and will open on Friday, Jan. 30. Tickets range from $9.50 to $12.50. Visit www.theatre.psu.edu for more ticket information and dates.