Love Letters

[theatrebabe]

Posted: 2/9/06 at 8:55pm

I just discovered this play a few days ago and LOVE it. It's a very quick read. The script I have says that Elaine Stritch played in it. That's all I know. When was she in it? When and where did it run? Any information is very appreciated. :)

[TLKfan]

Posted: 2/9/06 at 11:26pm

Oh, are you talking about A.R. Gurney's 'Love Letters'? I love that play. It's great, I've seen it performed a few times, but I don't know anything about Elain Stritch. Sorry

[justme2]

Posted: 2/9/06 at 11:32pm

I saw a production of this in SF YEARS ago with Matthew Broderick and Helen Hunt (when they were still together). It was a great show! I know that lots of theater and television folks have done this show over time, so it wouldn't be unusual if Stritch did it as well.

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 2/9/06 at 11:40pm

There's a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of it on DVD with Stephen Webber and Laura Linney. They screwed the story up big time and even that doesn't deter from the impact of the words. I still bawl every time I watch it, even though I get pissed off while I'm bawling.

[TLKfan]

Posted: 2/9/06 at 11:46pm

lol, wonderwaiter, that was great. That makes me mad when they mess up the story...but go figure.

[Lamc16]

Posted: 2/9/06 at 11:49pm

I LOOOOVVVEE this play. I've read it numerous times, but I saw it performed years ago at The Player's Club in Gramercy with Charles Keating and Victoria Wyndham. It's a really lovely play.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 2/9/06 at 11:50pm

According to IBDB, the play debuted at Long Wharf Theatre, later played off-Broadway at the Promenade, and then transferred for a Broadway production at the Edison. I don't know if Stritch was involved in one of the earlier productions, but the Broadway production featured stars for very short runs (~1 week each), replacing one set after another for its 96 performances. Stritch closed the production with Cliff Robertson on Jan 21, 1990.

Interestingly, Love Letters won (EDIT: was a nominee for) the Pulitzer Prize for Drama but apparently was not even nominated for any other awards during its Broadway run.
Updated On: 2/10/06 at 11:50 PM

[jimmirae]

Posted: 2/10/06 at 4:57am

Barbara Eden & Larry Hagman just opened up a national tour of this last weekend in Florida. My spies said Eden was great and Hagman was so-so. I loved it with Stefani Powers & Robert Wagner.

[TLKfan]

Posted: 2/10/06 at 5:28am

Ah this show makes me cry! I'd love to see it on stage again. Is there a link for the tour?

[IssaMe]

Posted: 2/10/06 at 9:16am

Stritch has done it many times...including the London run of the show which (after successes all over the place in other countries) was a major flop with 20 out of 21 reviews being negative (unlike Australia where 21 out of 22 reviews were raves). Stritch is a much-loved star in London, so it was shocking to many that this show was so unsuccessful there. Duncan Weldon produced there and it was one of his few flops.
Richard Frankel produced in New York where it was a big hit.

Since when did it win a Pulitzer?

[WOSQ]

Posted: 2/10/06 at 9:54am

Love Letters opened at the Promenade when The Cocktail Hour was playing. It played two performances a week on nights the theatre was otherwise dark, Sunday and Monday nights with different stars each week.

When Cocktail Hour closed Love Letters began to play a regular 8 performance week again with different stars each week. I saw this show about 4 times and the pair that opened the play for the critics were pretty damn good--Stockard Channing and John Rubenstein.

However the truly memorable pair, the stuff of dreams and legend, were Elaine Stritch and Jason Robards. There's nothing left to say.

Later the show moved to the Edison after the revival of Oh! Calcutta finally closed.

I don't think it won the Pulitzer Prize.

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 2/10/06 at 11:46am

You are correct. I mistakenly type that it was a Pulitzer winner when it was only a nominee. I've corrected that above.