Remember letter writing?
When pen met paper to put down thoughts that were, well, thoughtful?
They may be out of vogue these days, but thankfully not during World War II, when playwright Ken Ludwigβs parents became pen pals and fell in love.
The result is the sweet βDear Jack. Dear Louise.β now on stage at Tucsonβs Invisible Theatre.
Ludwig, known for his comedies, including his Tony-winning farce βLend Me a Tenor,β took his parentsβ letters and fashioned a tender love story that brings laughs, as well as poignancy.
This is a tricky play to stage β the two characters interact only through the letters and donβt meet until the end. Director Betsy Kruse Craig gave the play momentum with her staging. And when the actors moved around the stage, it was always with intent.
But it is the two actors who gave full life to the characters. Emily Fuchs is Louise, a spunky actress who lives in Manhattan and is trying to land roles in between letter writing. Fuchs owned the character, infusing her with an endearing sassiness and a quick empathy.
Jack is a shy army doctor stationed in Oregon. His early letters tend to be a few strained sentences, but as their romance-by-mail blossoms, so does he. Sean Hazen seemed to deeply understand Jack, and we were with him every step of the way as he dealt with war, battles and falling in love with a woman heβs never met.
This could be cloyingly sentimental. But the playwright, and this production, never let that happen. And who knows, it might encourage you to put pen to paper once again.
βDear Jack. Dear Louise.β continues through Nov. 5 at Invisible Theatre, 1400 N. First Ave.
Tickets are $40 at invisibletheatre.com or 520-882-9721. The play runs about 90 minutes with no intermission.
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