Love, laughs, and a lifetime of letters

Theatre Collingwood is bringing A.R. Gurney’s charming and surprisingly witty play Love Letters to the Simcoe Street Theatre, and it’s not your typical night at the theatre.

A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for drama, Love Letters tells the story of Melissa Gardner and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III, two people whose lives remain intertwined through the notes, cards and letters they exchange over nearly 50 years. From childhood crushes to adult regrets, from big dreams to missed chances, their correspondence reveals the beautiful messiness of love, friendship, timing, and all the things we wish we’d said sooner.

The show is quick-witted, and surprisingly fun. It’s not just for those celebrating Valentine’s Day. Rather, Love Letters is for anyone who likes something a little different and loves good writing. The actors sit side by side, and while reading the letters aloud, they let the language, humour, and emotion do all the heavy lifting to tell the story. What sounds simple on paper becomes completely captivating on stage.

Theatre Collingwood is presenting three performances, each featuring a different pair of well-loved local actors, so every performance brings its own chemistry, energy, and spark:

Friday, Feb. 13 features Dean Hollin and Tara Kivlichan at 7:30 p.m.;

Saturday, Feb. 14 features Chelsea Coulter and Jason Murphy at 2 p.m.;