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Published April 23rd, 2014
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Love is in the Air at the Rheem Theatre
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| Live stage performance of 'Love Letters' |
| By Derek Zemrak |
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| Photo provided |
The California Independent Film Festival is proud to present the first stage performance at the Rheem Theatre in over 25 years - the Pulitzer Prize winner for drama, "Love Letters," written by A. R. Gurney. This is the perfect play to present in theatre four upstairs at the Rheem Theatre, where a newly constructed stage has been built to allow more live theater, comedy, improv, lectures and other events.
"Love Letters" is a two-character play that centers on Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III. Melissa and Andrew are both on stage as they read letters, notes and cards they have received from each other over 50 years of being pen pals. They share their hopes, dreams, sorrows, disappointments, accomplishments and losses. Many Hollywood actors have performed the play because it requires little preparation and the lines are never memorized, which is a requirement of the author. "Love Letters" has been performed by Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Carol Burnett, Brian Dennehy, Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek, just to name a few.
This production will be performed by Bay Area theater favorites George Maguire and Kerri Shawn. Maquire has over 50 years of performing both on and off Broadway as well as having numerous film and television credits - "Fight Club," "Pursuit of Happyness" and "Nash Bridges." As a theater director at Center REP Theatre Company, Walnut Creek, his direction of "Our Town" and "Shirley Valentine" (with Shawn) received Shellie awards for best production and direction.
Since 1995 Shawn has served as director of education for Center REP Company at The Lesher Center of the Arts. She has been in a variety of productions over the past four decades including two one-woman shows; Shirley in "Shirley Valentine" and Ann Landers in "The Lady With All of the Answers." Shawn has performed yearly for the past two decades at Eugene O'Neill's Tao House celebrating the life and work of Eugene O'Neill.
Come celebrate the return of live professional theater at the Rheem Theatre on opening night at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25. Two additional performances will be presented at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Sunday, April 27. "Love Letters" is a fundraiser for the elevator lift at the Rheem which is scheduled to be installed in June. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the Rheem Theatre box-office or online at www.lamorinda theatres.com.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA