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Performance Date

• February 12

Evening Schedule

• 5 PM - Box office opens
• 6-7 PM - Appetizers, Wine and Cheese Social
• 7:30 - Love Letters
• Dessert & Coffee Following Performance

Auditon, Rehearsal and Performance Location

J. Philip Gibbs, Jr., Centre for the Performing Arts
(Old Town Theatre), 1023 12th St., Huntsville, TX

For tickets or more information call 936-291-7933

Synopsis

A.R. Gurney's Love Letters chronicles the relationship between a man and a woman solely through their correspondence. The play tells the story of Andrew Makepeace Ladd and Melissa Gardner, whose poignantly funny friendship and ill-fated romance takes them from second grade through adolescence, maturity, and into middle age.

The production traces the lifelong correspondence of the staid, dutiful lawyer Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and the lively, unstable artist Melissa Gardner, the story of their bittersweet relationship gradually unfolds from what is written - and what is left unsaid - in their letters. The words are both hysterical and moving, the audience comes to know both of them intimately – from their strict WASP upbringing, through later life political aspirations, love affairs, military service and artistic ambitions.

About the Cast

J.K. Moore (Young Andy) started acting over a decade ago while in high school playing such roles as The Tinman in The Wizard of Oz, Christian de Neuvillette in Cyrano de Bergerac, Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Freddie Trumper in Chess. Later he starred in Enron: The Musical as Jeff Skilling. Since then, he has worked in the field of education and is currently the coordinator of the Sam Houston State University English Language Institute, which provides English instruction to adult ESL students from Asia, Central and South America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. In addition to his professional efforts, James currently services as President of Thoreau Woods Unitarian Universalist Church in Huntsville and is living here happily with his wife Annie.

Karen Mendez DeDominicis (Young Melissa) is very excited to be back in the theatre to perform for the first time since high school, where she had several lead roles in her drama club. Since moving to Huntsville, she has enjoyed attending many of HCT’s production and is ecstatic to have the opportunity to perform on HCT’s stage. Karen works at Huntsville Memorial Hospital as an RN in the ICU, she truly enjoys nursing, nut not as much as she loves homeschooling and spending time with her two children, Nick and Hadassah. She credits her vivaciousness and passion for life to her incredible husband, Ronnie.

Melissa M. Miller (Older Melissa) is a graduate of Sam Houston State University; Melissa earned her BFA in Theatre with aspirations of bringing her written works to the stage. She spent six years in California with the Long Beach Shakespeare Company, during which time she wrote and directed two full-length plays and a one-act, receiving rave reviews for all three. She has been seen upon the stage performing such roles as First Witch in Macbeth, Phebe in As You Like It, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, and both Hipolyta and Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Gary K. Hood (Older Andy) is a (mostly) retired professor of counselor education at SHSU. A lifetime devotee of the theatre he perceives this venue as his moment for personal therapy! Father of four children, stepdad of two, he was last seen on HCT’s stage as the sheriff in To Kill A Mockingbird. Over the years the musical stage has been his primary venue with leading roles in South Pacific, The Music Man, Man of La Mancha, Mame, Kiss Me Kate, Unsinkable Molly Brown, Pajama Game, The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Lend Me a Tenor, 1776, The Lark, just to name a few. Dr. Hood is married to Huntsville pianist Debbie Hood.

Author

A. R. Gurney was born in Buffalo, New York. He is a graduate of St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire and, attended Williams College and the Yale School of Drama, after which he began teaching Humanities at MIT. He began writing plays such as "Scenes from American Life," "Children," and "The Middle Age"s while at MIT, but it was his great success with "The Dining Room" that allowed him to write full-time. Since "The Dining Room," Gurney has written a number of plays, most of them concerning WASPs of the American northeast. Gurney also wrote the musical, "Love in Buffalo." This was the first musical ever produced at Yale.

Gurney's latest play is "The Grand Manner," which is about his real life encounter with famed actress Katharine Cornell in her production of Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra." The play will be produced and performed by Lincoln Center for the summer of 2010. – per en.wikipedia.org

About the Director

Velvia Keithley has performed in many productions, such as Sylvia, and Veronica's Room. She has directed over 12 productions, including three for Huntsville Community Theatre. Last spring, she directed Alone Together, and the wildly successful summer children's show, The Ant and the Grasshopper. She currently works at Splendora ISD teaching junior high and dual credit theatre. She has an amazing husband, David, who shares her love of theatre, and two amazing daughters, Ashlea and Johanna.

Tickets

Ticket prices may be found on the Tickets page.

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