Love Letters
Love Letters
By A.R. Gurney
Breakthrough Theatre, Winter Park Fl</strong>
Letter writing died about a decade ago. While we email and text and tweet like we actually have something to say, all that instant communication will never contain the thought a hand-written letter requires. When each letter and each word must be considered, that process encourages thought from both parties, leaves a concrete memory of the past, and provides a modicum of privacy if you’re careful where you mail things. In this touching and unusual performance, A. R. Gurney specifies no rehearsal for the cast – they just sit down and read this chronicle of a life long relation, and don’t worry about lights or costumes or critic.
Andy Ladd (David Gerrard) fires the opening salvo in this gentle war of words by accepting an invitation to a second grade birthday party. Melissa (Sue Cohen) responds with the carefully polite “you’re a boy, you have cooties” but after that, things take off. They’re both classic preps – she’s booted out of a series of schools for booze and Chesterfields but has a flair for art, while he’s more the uptight protestant, with a responsible career path of military, law, and the Senate ahead of him. Despite their missed signals over the years and that disappointing evening in the Hotel No-tell, you really feel the two belong together. By the time they join up again, too much other water passed under the bridge and while the sex is great, the scandal is greater still.
Gerrard has a boyish charm and looks like a lovable teddy bear, and his reading conveys a certain fun gravitas. He’s the really cool physics professor you had for one semester in High school. Cohen exudes a world-weary sexuality – she’s the party girl you always wanted to date but either couldn’t find the courage to ask out, or you were intimidated by who ever she was seeing that week. Together, they seem like a young Mrs. Robinson and an older Ben Braddock – they click in bed and out, but the stars or the fates or a lot of bad decisions means neither will ever be truly happy. Would they do it differently if they had a second chance? Perhaps, but no one should start life with the scars and cynicism of old age.
For ticket prices and show times, please visit http://www.breakthroughtheatre.com
</em>
