Love Letters

Lakeside Players present Love Letters, by A. R. Gurney

Thursday, Aug 24 at 7 pm & Sunday, Aug. 27 at 2 pm

Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists’ Play Service

THE STORY: Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, both born to wealth and position, are childhood friends whose lifelong correspondence begins with birthday party thank-you notes and summer camp postcards. Romantically attached, they continue to exchange letters through the boarding school and college years—where Andy goes on to excel at Yale and law school, while Melissa flunks out of a series of “good schools.” While Andy is off at war Melissa marries, but her attachment to Andy remains strong and she continues to keep in touch as he marries, becomes a successful attorney, gets involved in politics and, eventually, is elected to the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, her marriage in tatters, Melissa dabbles in art and gigolos, drinks more than she should, and becomes estranged from her children. Eventually she and Andy do become involved in a brief affair, but it is really too late for both of them. However Andy’s last letter, written to her mother after Melissa’s untimely death, makes it eloquently clear how much they really meant, and gave to, each other over the years—physically apart, perhaps, but spiritually as close as only true lovers can be.

Daphne Ostle (Melissa) – Daphne was born in England, educated in America and became a Vermont resident years ago. For more than 12 years she has been a Greensboro “Summer Person” at her camp on North Randolph Rd. She has performed in community theaters with Lamoille County Players, Unadilla Theatre, Mirror Theater, and Lakeside Players.

Vince Rossano (Andy) – Vince Rossano has been performing in professional, community, and academic theaters for nearly sixty years. Recently, he has worked at the Round House Theater in Bethesda, MD. In Vermont, he has performed at Unadilla Theatre, Vermont Shakespeare Festival, Vermont Stage, Mirror Theater, and Lakeside Players among others. He studied theater at the University of Vermont.

Rosann Hickey (Director) – Rosann got her Theater degree at Trenton University and went on to make a (tenuous) living as an actor, director and producer for numerous regional and community theaters on the East Coast and in Europe. Since coming to Vermont, she has worked on and/or backstage at Unadilla, Quarry Works, Hyde Park Opera House, Briggs Opera House, the Flynn and Highland Center for the Arts.

Lakeside Players, originally gathered in 2018 to read and discuss plays, had a successful production of Under Milk Wood at Highland Center for the Arts in 2019. And then there was Covid. Now, with the assistance and support of HCA we intend to resume activities. To learn more, or better yet get involved, contact [email protected]