Love Letters’ simple but elegant staging lends an atmosphere of intimacy to the entire play. Seated at a table, the actors read their letters to each other out loud. There is no script to memorize, yet this is no easy feat for the actors playing the roles. They must depend upon simple tone of voice, facial expressions, and personal nuances to get their characters across, and they both do a superb job. Ms. Nelson's Melissa is engaging, and I felt her character to be the more interesting of the two. I could feel her questioning and enthusiasm for life. Mr. Leo's Andrew was also just as he ought to be, bland in a way, except when he wrote to and spoke about Melissa. Both Mr. Leo and Ms. Nelson aptly portray the emotions they feel upon reading the words they sent.
Love Letters is not only an entertaining love story about a bittersweet romance, but also one that celebrates the art of writing. I could not help but think of what some of our younger generation are missing out on in their abbreviated world full of tweets, status updates, and instant messages. Letter writing is an art, and it was the instrument that helped the two characters of this play establish a long and loving relationship that spanned years. I thoroughly enjoyed their sharing those letters with us, and allowing us a glimpse into their special relationship. Love Letters runs through February 20th at the Square One Theatre Company. For tickets, visit the Square One Theatre Company website.
Article comments
1 - Refindyourway
Cindy always writes good articles :)