Love letters

Published by the Times-Georgian–February 17, 2024

http://www.times-georgian.com

by Joe Garrett

It’s the season of romance.

Hearts. Roses. Hand holding. Chocolate. A Hallmark movie with a title like “Appetite for Love.” And, if you’re lucky with that special someone—a little smooching in the back of your Honda Odyssey MiniVan after the kids are asleep. Valentine’s Day may have already passed, and the Russell Stover heart boxes are now half price at CVS—but that doesn’t mean it has to end.

Let’s keep the love flowing whether it’s in the present or stored in a shoe box. Recently, my wife rearranged some items in the closet, and I couldn’t help but spend an hour or more going through where she stored letters from our early days of dating. We both looked at each other and started laughing at what we wrote to each other. That’s what happens after almost 24 years of marriage.

We were in love.

Looking back—these were some of the greatest days of my life. Eventually, the honeymoon period ends and that’s where real love begins with things like not forgetting to turn on the dishwasher, making coffee just the way she likes it, and periodically taken to the woodshed when she says—

“You woke me up this morning snoring in bed. It’s Saturday and the only morning I’m able to sleep late this week!”

Oh, how I love the joy of marriage.

As technology has evolved so has the art of writing love letters. Thankfully, we started dating before I ever owned a mobile phone, so we wrote to each other the old-fashioned way—with a pen and piece of paper. These letters are an archive of our early romance that if, or should I say when, our sons read them one day—they’ll probably want to throw up and disown us.

Perhaps you have a few of those love letters from your past stored in a closet, too? Today’s youth and young adults won’t have these because most of their love letters are written via text message. I guess one can argue that’s still a form of letter writing, but it’s not the same as holding a piece of paper in your hand.

A few months ago when Patrick Yuran asked me if I would co-star in the upcoming local production of A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters,” I immediately asked him what’s the storyline—

“’Love Letters’ is about two lifelong friends navigating the human experience of love—in all its form,” said Yuran. “It’s more than romantic love because sometimes it takes a lifetime to define love. It’s really about the different phases of an authentic relationship between the characters Andy and Melissa. Even though they go their separate and geographic ways for most of their lives, they’re never far apart.”

The play has been extremely popular beyond Broadway as many stars have played Melissa and Andy including Carol Burnett, Alan Alda, Ryan O’Neal, Ali McGraw, Martin Sheen, Mia Farrow, Christopher Reeve, Andie MacDowell, Brian Dennehy, Elizabeth Taylor, Mel Gibson, Barbara Eden, James Earl Jones, Linda Gray and Larry Hagman.

“I think you will leave the play with a more profound commitment to the people who matter most to you in life,” said my co-star Terri Ducker. “Who knows? You may even write them a letter and tell them how much they mean to you after watching the play. In the end, the play reminds the audience we’re all connected.”

“Love Letters” kicks off Yuran’s new non-profit The REAL Theatre Company as Carrollton’s newest creative endeavor. The upcoming production will feature local community leaders in four different performances to be held at the Depot on Bradley. Jay Gill and Meredith Warner will play Andrew and Melissa on Friday, March 1 at 7 PM. Bill Hearnburg and Bunny Goddard will perform as the couple on Saturday, March 2 at 2 PM. Terri Ducker and I will take the roles on Saturday, March 2 at 7 PM and the performance concludes on Sunday, March 3 at 2 PM co-starring Michelle Morgan and Doug Chanselle-Hary.

So, three reasons why should you plan to attend?

#1        Help support a new creative non-profit that plans to expand our thriving arts community.

#2        It’s a really good story that will make you laugh, cry, and think about life and the powerful mystery and complexity of love.

#3        The last time I starred in a scripted play I was in third grade. That’s when my teacher Diane Rooks at Central Primary cast me as the character Tommy Jones in the play “Tommy Jones’s Thanksgiving Party.” If you miss my one and only performance as Andrew in “Love Letters” on March 2, it’s quite possible you may have to wait another 45 years to see me on stage again. For the record, I’ll be 99 years old.

I hope to see you there. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit therealtheatre.com. In the meantime, I need to end this column. It’s almost time to get the show on the road. There’s no business like show business.

Let’s break a leg.