Two lives lived in “Love Letters” at the Bellrock Theatre

Jan 29, 2013

The seats filled up quickly at the Bellrock Schoolhouse Theatre on January 26 for a special production of the Pulitzer Prize nominated play “Love Letters”, written by A. R. Gurney.

Fred Colwell, whom some may remember for his remarkable portrayal of Scrooge in the theatre’s holiday production of “A Christmas Carol”, introduced the play, and his two long-time pals, well-known Canadian veteran actors Carolyn Hetherington and Fred Euringer played the roles of Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd.

Carolyn Hetherington appeared as Eliza in Sarah Polley's feature film “Away From Her” and in other TV and movies roles in addition to spending decades as a stage actor.

The two actors have performed the play numerous times in their careers. Both seated in arm chairs, they read the script, which was written in epistolary form, more commonly found in novels. The play consists of a series of back and forth letters that span over 50 years.

While it is a very simple premise, “Love Letters” touchingly reveals the relationship and the love that develops between the two very different characters. Melissa is a well to do, free and highly spirited person, first a girl then later a mature artist and painter who comes from a wealthy and very dysfunctional and broken family. Alan, on the other hand, is more driven by common sense - a hard working and conservative type from a loving, close-knit family.

The script reveals their relationship first as young, carefree school children with an emphasis on their comical family and everyday school lives, and then moves forward delving into and the more complicated thoughts and feelings that their young adulthood brings. The play takes on a serious undercurrent that is developed more fully in the second half of the play as the two continue to correspond, even as their lives enter onto more unsure and shaky ground.

The play as a whole is a homage to the lost art of letter writing and its ability to reveal the beauty, depth, humour and tragedy that is contained in seemingly ordinary people's lives.

Though some might anticipate that over an hour and a half of listening to two seated characters read a written correspondence from centre stage could be a trial, both actors brought their own expertise and emotional depth to the performances and managed to create an entirely believable world based solely on words.

Their correspondence, while often very humorous, also portrayed the heart felt, personal trials and tribulations each character faces as their lives, though remaining connected, go in two very separate ways.  While the two did make several attempts over the years to create a romantic relationship between themselves, for a variety of reasons that proved unattainable, though the correspondence is always kept up.

Not to reveal the cathartic ending of the play; “Love Letters” speaks of how written correspondence can contain the most intimate feelings and thoughts of two separate individuals who still manage to stay connected even after one of those lives comes to an end.