1994-1995 Season
Love Letters, by A.R. Gurney
Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, both born to wealth and position, are childhood friends whose lifelong correspondence begins with birthday party thank-you notes and summer camp postcards. Romantically attached, they continue to exchange letters through the boarding school and college years—where Andy goes on to excel at Yale and law school, while Melissa flunks out of a series of “good schools.” While Andy is off at war Melissa marries, but her attachment to Andy remains strong and she continues to keep in touch as he marries, becomes a successful attorney, gets involved in politics and, eventually, is elected to the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, her marriage in tatters, Melissa dabbles in art and gigolos, drinks more than she should, and becomes estranged from her children. Eventually she and Andy do become involved in a brief affair, but it is really too late for both of them. However Andy’s last letter, written to her mother after Melissa’s untimely death, makes it eloquently clear how much they really meant, and gave to, each other over the years—physically apart, perhaps, but spiritually as close as only true lovers can be.
A unique and imaginative theatre piece which, in the words of the author, “needs no theatre, no lengthy rehearsal, no special set, no memorization of lines, and no commitment from its two actors beyond the night of performance.” The piece is comprised of letters exchanged over a lifetime between two people who grew up together, went their separate ways, but continued to share confidences. As the actors read the letters aloud, what is created is an evocative, touching, frequently funny but always telling pair of character studies in which what is implied is as revealing and meaningful as what is actually written down.
Love, Sex, and the IRS, by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore
The classic farce that everyone should be doing – especially around tax time! Jon Trachtman and Leslie Arthur are out of work musicians who room together in New York City. To save money, Jon has been filing tax returns listing the pair as married. The day of reckoning comes when the Internal Revenue Service informs the “couple” they’re going to be investigated. Leslie masquerades as a housewife, aided by Jon’s fiancée, Kate. Complicating matters further, Leslie and Kate are having an affair behind Jon’s back, Jon’s mother drops in unexpectedly to meet her son’s fiancée, and Leslie’s ex-girlfriend shows up demanding to know why Leslie has changed and won’t see her anymore. Like a cross between I Love Lucy and Some Like it Hot.
Enough comic lines to fill an encyclopedia of humor." - Red Bank Register, NJ
"A season seldom goes by that this show doesn't run somewhere nearby. And for good reason. It convulses audiences!" - Englewood Times, FL
"Eat carefully before curtain time or you might laugh enough to choke if you don't." - Asbury Park Press, NJ
"If you enjoy broad comedy and men in dresses, this is the play for you!" - Houston Times, TX
"Perfect for dinner-theater, Little Theater, or any theater." - Omaha World Herald, NE
"A concoction of mistken identities and sub-plots that would put Shakespeare to shame." - Star Beacon, OH
"The funniest show I have seen in years. This is a MUST see!" - News Tribune, OR