Owings to co-star in ‘Love Letters' for Twin Beach Players

Friday, Feb. 12, 2010

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Twin Beach Players is presenting "Love Letters" at Holland Point Community Center on Saturday, Feb. 13.

This is a one-time, one-performance production to raise operating funds for the TBP, a community theater group that has been delighting Calvert audiences for many years now.

The production is going to be a real whoop-de-do gala, with gourmet food, wine, champagne, and an exhibit and auction of theatrical memorabilia, including posters, genuine props and more, from well-known venues like Broadway.

As if this wasn't exciting enough one of the two players will be local well-known personality, Calvert native, many-time public servant and current gubernatorial candidate, George Owings III. Playing with him is Regan Cashman. She was mostly recently seen in the TBP production of "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest."

"Love Letters," by the American playwright A.R. Gurney, personifies Valentine's Day. It's called an epistolary play, a form often used in novels, because it consists of two people — a man and a woman — reading letters they've written to each other over a 50-year period. The piece is meant to be read, so the actors don't memorize the lines, per se, but express through their readings, the changing feelings and life events of the two characters over the years.

The two characters, Andrew Makepeace Ladd and Melissa Gardner, have been friends since second grade, and keep in touch by letters over the years. Their letters, describing their respective lives through adulthood, marriages, divorces and middle age, are by turns humorous and poignant. The actor-readers sit across from each other at a table as they take turns reading the letters, postcards and notes each sends the other, from a thank-you note to Andy for a birthday gift from the 7-year-old Melissa, to later missives that discuss their hopes and ambitions, dreams and disappointments, victories and defeats that have passed between them throughout their separated lives.

Andrew is an earnest, responsible young man, destined for an Ivy League college, a naval officer, a lawyer and, finally, a U.S. Senator.

Melissa is a sometime artist who has a much more disorganized life and the high drama of false starts and failed relationships, children, divorce and alcoholism. She draws pictures, not of cute hearts, but of hospital bedpans or kangaroos jumping over glasses of orange juice. Andrew loves writing and often annoys Melissa, who hates writing letters, but grudgingly keeps on writing to keep him in her life.

The genius of the play is in the undercurrents of emotion, the many things that neither will say, and how the readings eventually dig deeper into the characters' personalities than either realizes.

There the sense of missed connections with each other in their two lives; of all the things unsaid, so by the time they again meet face to face, it's too late. One reviewer thought at first that "Love Letters" was the most boring play ever written. There's no props, no settings, no physical action; the actors never move and haven't even memorized their lines. He ended by thinking it was one of the most exciting, involving, engrossing and entertaining plays ever written.

Cashman explained to this writer how she and Owings plan to do the play.

"The play will be done as an expressive reading, meaning neither George nor I will be required to memorize the entire script. It is expected that we show emotions, connect with the audience and some eye contact [with the audience]. George being well versed in public speaking and myself being an actress for the past 26 years, we have a lot of experience in doing just that. Yes, we will have scripts in our hands. They are meant to be the letters our characters wrote each other. And, yes, the audience will get a performance. They won't be subjected to watching a couple of people looking down and reading to them."

Owings certainly brings a great deal of public speaking experience to the role. He's gained this experience over the years, executing the many public offices he's held in Annapolis. The Maryland Legislature surely can't be the easiest audience to face on a regular basis. He also has lived long enough to bring personal understanding to the many challenges and experiences of a person's life from childhood to middle age.

Cashman's years of acting experience, and their interpretations of these two people undoubtedly will draw upon their personal life knowledge.

The well-known actress Eva Marie Saint, who has played Melissa, believes that older actors can make much more of the play, because they have more life experience.

"Very young actors have done it, but you have to live a certain number of years for it to make sense. There are so many phases in [Andrew's and Melissa's] lives. They go through so many things."

TBP has been steadily presenting plays to Calvert audiences since 1997, for minimal admissions. It's a nonprofit, all-volunteer company. A few seasons ago they began an outreach education program for local schoolchildren that has being fantastically successful. This Annual Kid's Playwriting Festival offers school children from fourth grade through high school the opportunity to write a play for a competition, in which the winners see their plays produced that year by the TBP cast.

All these activities cost money, and the admissions for TBP plays barely cover production costs, nevermind having any to put aside for general operations or to pay the actors. This gala performance next Saturday evening is a painless and very enjoyable way to say thanks for all the entertainment over the years and for the future.

Admission includes a free glass of wine, dinner and dessert made by gourmet chefs.

So, bring your Valentine to the Holland Point Civic Center on Feb. 13 for a romantic evening par excellence. The doors open at 6 p.m.

For tickets and further information, call 410-286-2755, or e-mail info@twinbeachplayers.com.

Tickets also are available at Richard's Bayside Florist and Sea Scapes in North Beach.

patulberg@comcast.net