Love Letters

Rating:
Summary: Love throughout the years
Review: Boy meets girl. Girl writes to boy. Girl and boy correspond throughout their lives. That more or less sums up "Love Letters," a two-person play by A.R. Gurney about two people who grow up in tune with each other's written words.

Andrew Makepeace Ladd III ("Andy") and Melissa Gardner first write to one another when Melissa asks Andy to her birthday party. Their writings continue, growing longer and more familiar as they seek friendship in their respective boarding schools. They sympathize (and amiably bicker) throughout marriages, children, divorces, love affairs, and careers that take them down (and up) different paths.

The simplicity of "Love Letters" is what makes it work. Gurney doesn't ram anything down your throat -- rather than saying that Andy's first marriage to a Japanese girl didn't work out, he writes Andy as simply saying that he doesn't want to talk about it, and that it's over. And despite the differences between a tragic, free-spirited artist and a down-to-earth lawyer-turned-politician, Gurney shows that they're alike under the skin.

Their actual love affair in middle-age is a bit of a bump in the road. Not because their love isn't convincing (it's more than convincing!), but because it seems like a distraction from their affair of words. Rather dull by comparison, actually, to have them both agonizing about their love and responsibilities. However, the final eulogistic letter from Andy is sweet, sad and sensitive, one of the best theatrical scenes I've ever read.

It's a sweet, simple romantic play about on-paper soulmates. Recommended, especially for romantics and those putting on plays on a budget.

Rating:
Summary: Love throughout the years
Review: Boy meets girl. Girl writes to boy. Girl and boy correspond throughout their lives. That more or less sums up "Love Letters," a two-person play by A.R. Gurney about two people who grow up in tune with each other's written words.

Andrew Makepeace Ladd III ("Andy") and Melissa Gardner first write to one another when Melissa asks Andy to her birthday party. Their writings continue, growing longer and more familiar as they seek friendship in their respective boarding schools. They sympathize (and amiably bicker) throughout marriages, children, divorces, love affairs, and careers that take them down (and up) different paths.

The simplicity of "Love Letters" is what makes it work. Gurney doesn't ram anything down your throat -- rather than saying that Andy's first marriage to a Japanese girl didn't work out, he writes Andy as simply saying that he doesn't want to talk about it, and that it's over. And despite the differences between a tragic, free-spirited artist and a down-to-earth lawyer-turned-politician, Gurney shows that they're alike under the skin.

Their actual love affair in middle-age is a bit of a bump in the road. Not because their love isn't convincing (it's more than convincing!), but because it seems like a distraction from their affair of words. Rather dull by comparison, actually, to have them both agonizing about their love and responsibilities. However, the final eulogistic letter from Andy is sweet, sad and sensitive, one of the best theatrical scenes I've ever read.

It's a sweet, simple romantic play about on-paper soulmates. Recommended, especially for romantics and those putting on plays on a budget.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Play!
Review: I saw "Tumhari Amrita," (Your Amrita) a play in Urdu/Hindi based on A.R. Gurney's Love Letters. This play featured Shabana Azmi and Farooque Shaikh. The play had a definite Indian/Pakistani flavor to it and was just beautiful. This drew me to the original play and when I read it, I was just amazed by it. It is a fantastic story of two individuals and their relationship over the years. I would recommend it highly!

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Play!
Review: I saw "Tumhari Amrita," (Your Amrita) a play in Urdu/Hindi based on A.R. Gurney's Love Letters. This play featured Shabana Azmi and Farooque Shaikh. The play had a definite Indian/Pakistani flavor to it and was just beautiful. This drew me to the original play and when I read it, I was just amazed by it. It is a fantastic story of two individuals and their relationship over the years. I would recommend it highly!

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read
Review: Love Letters is a compelling story that draws you in, and never lets you go. By the end of the book, you feel as though you know these characters intimately...you share their emotions as they experience them and find yourself rooting for them. I fell in love with Love Letters when I heard actor David Selby and actress Lara Parker read the parts of Andy and Melissa. This is a real heartbreaker you are sure to enjoy!!

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Read
Review: Love Letters is a compelling story that draws you in, and never lets you go. By the end of the book, you feel as though you know these characters intimately...you share their emotions as they experience them and find yourself rooting for them. I fell in love with Love Letters when I heard actor David Selby and actress Lara Parker read the parts of Andy and Melissa. This is a real heartbreaker you are sure to enjoy!!