Love Letters, A. R. Gurney’s two-character play chronicling the tumultuous lifelong friendship between a couple who never marry will be performed May 31 and June 2 as a special benefit for Annapolis’ Compass Rose Theater.
Janet Luby and Rick Wade will portray Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III in the affecting comedy-drama the New York Times described as “the sweet, sad spell of Mr. Gurney’s deceptively simple and quietly moving play.”
Both Ms. Luby and Mr. Wade are familiar figures to Annapolis theatergoers over the years.
Ms. Luby and Lucinda Merry Browne, Compass Rose Theater’s founder and artistic director, created Annapolis’ first professional company, the Bay Theatre Company in 2002. Her professional acting credits include many productions with that company as well as theaters in New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
Wade has directed and performed in the Annapolis, Washington and Baltimore areas for more than 40 years for professional, community and college theaters, including Bay Theatre, Compass Rose, the Colonial Players and the Annapolis Summer Garden Theatres. He authored the adaptation and lyrics for the musical version of A Christmas Carol, with music by Dick Gessner that has been produced in Annapolis for more than 30 years.
“We have wanted to make this lovely play a part of the Compass Rose season for quite some time, “ Ms. Browne said. “In an age of email and social media, it reminds us of the deep emotions and humor that putting pen to paper can bring out of us.”
The two performances of Love Letters will benefit Compass Rose Theater. Performances are on Friday, May 31st at 7:30 pm and Sunday, June 2nd at 2:00 pm. Both performances will be at Hotel Annapolis, (formerly Loews Hotel), in the Power House building, 126 West St., Annapolis, MD 21401. Tickets are $50.00 per person and may be purchased by calling the Box Office at 410-980-6662, or online, or at the door for $55.00.
Compass Rose Theater, a not-for-profit professional theater and studio, offers a wide range of classes and workshops as well as a full season of professional theater productions.
