(Disclaimer: Tumblr and I are not friends. Not yet anyway - and this is my first attempt at creating anything substantial here. So you’ll understand if it’s not fancy or pretty, or has a typo or two.)
(Oh, and herein there be spoilers!)
So yes, a play. Live drama. Not in a big fancy theatre with balconies and private boxes, not even in a smaller playhouse with a tasteful marquee and worn but cushy seats. No, this production took place in a small, old, hot and humid ‘storefront’ theatre in Toronto’s East end. From the outside you might even think it was just another closed-down business. But inside…oh inside, magic was happening.
The magic was the Sunday matinee (and last of only four performances) of ‘Love Letters’, by A.R. Gurney. Directed by Jill Carter, it was all for charity - fundraising for the Daily Bread food bank. Two actors graced the ‘stage’ - Kristin Kreuk and Eric Johnson. The play itself has been around for about 25 years, and has had successful runs everywhere from Broadway to community theatre. I had never seen it performed before, but had read it many years ago…and although I remembered the basic premise, I did not remember details.
For the uninitiated, ‘Love Letters’ is about the relationship between two people: Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, ever the responsible student/lawyer/politician; and Melissa Gardner, a complex and effervescent artist. Their story spans about 50 years from their childhood until the inevitable end for one - and is told entirely through their correspondence - letters, cards, invitations and the like - each character giving voice to what they have written.
I’ve heard that some consider ‘Love Letters’ an easy play to perform. After all, there are no props to maneuver, no marks to hit, even the lines don’t necessarily have to be memorised. But in my opinion, that just makes it all the more difficult. Without props or a set to move around in, the actors become the only thing thing the audience has to look at.
For almost two hours, these actors can’t even breathe or move in any way unless they stay in character. The audience is focussed only on them; and this play can only work if the actors are in turn focussed enough to deliver. If they don’t, it’s simple - they lose the audience. But we were fortunate to have Kristin and Eric sitting up there, because they never lost the audience. We laughed and cried in all the ‘right’ places…and we believed every moment of Melissa and Andrew’s journey. It was like we were all in a little bubble together, the characters and the audience.
At first, I often had to remind myself to watch whichever actor was NOT speaking. As viewers, we’re used to directing our attention to the character saying the words, indeed in film and television that’s usually who the camera is on. Unless directed to do so by the POV on our screens, we often only take notice of the listener’s reactions if we view the show or scene again. But a play is a one time shot, and in this particular play it is the reaction of the character listening - or ‘reading’ - that is just as powerful, potentially even more so.
For instance: when Andrew is speaking, we’re not really hearing him say the words as he writes them. We are hearing how Melissa imagines him saying those words as she ‘reads’ them; and in turn reacts to them. Kristin and Eric were able to both deliver and react with passion or calm, or even just an expression, which was equally effective. And subtle differences in tone or inflection conveyed the passage of time - from childlike innocence to the increasing world-weariness of later years - without having to resort to overdone or affected voices.
While watching, I wondered if it had been a challenge to adapt to the staging. Actors play off each other with more than words; one fuels the other with body language and expressions, particularly in dialogue-heavy scenes…and ‘Love Letters is basically one continuous dialogue-heavy scene! (Okay, two - there is an intermission.) However, although situated just a few feet apart, our actors had to play it as if they were alone on stage, imagining themselves as far away from each other as Andrew and Melissa were. They can’t even glance at each other - to lose that focus would break the bubble they’ve so successfully created.
I believe that’s why the ending was so poignant. The moment the audience realised that Melissa had died was already powerful, but the following shift in dynamic just made it even more so. Kristin deliberately - and for the first and only time - broke the bubble, having Melissa speak directly to Andrew as he wrote the letter of condolence to her mother. For the first time, we were actually hearing Andrew speak the words as he wrote them. Was Melissa’s ‘spirit’ really there, reacting to his words in real time? Or was her voice all in Andrew’s mind, as he imagined what she’d be saying to him?
I was so impressed with Kristin Kreuk and Eric Johnson. I admit I wasn’t previously very familiar with Eric’s work - but he now has another fan for life. (And no, I didn’t even watch ‘Smallville’! ) I’m also not very familiar with Kristin’s work outside of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (although I adore ‘Space Milkshake’ - it’s a must-watch, for anyone who appreciates ridiculously funny sci-fi spoofs). But it was truly special to see Kristin translate the humour and emotion we love in BATB to a live, up-close performance.
And I do mean up-close. Very very up-close, no raised stage or separation from the audience here. I didn’t count, but the venue held maybe 90-100 seats. The stage was simply the area in front of the first row, literally just a few feet ahead. I wondered if this proximity to the audience was intimidating to the performers…but if it was, neither of them showed it. If anything, the intimacy of the setting was perfect for this play; the audience was drawn immediately into the bubble, and the skill of the actors kept them there.
At the conclusion of the play, we were honoured to meet and speak with Kristin, Eric and Jill, even take pictures with them. The atmosphere was comfortable, and from my vantage point it appeared everyone had thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
So thank you Kristin, thank you Eric, and thank you Jill, for bringing it all together and sharing your work of art with us. ‘Love Letters’ will stay with me for a long, long time.
Toronto, 23 July, 2014
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