By: A.R. Gurney
Directed By: Stacy Madson
Performance Location:
Liberace Auditorium
5048 W. Greenfield Ave.
West Milwaukee
The Cliff Notes:
When Andrew Makepeace Ladd III accepts an invitation to Melissa Gardner’s birthday party, and Melissa writes a thank-you note to ask just why he got her “The Lost Princess of Oz” (answer: she looks like a lost princess), a romantic friendship and correspondence destined to last for almost half a century is born. Both from affluent, East Coast families — Melissa has more money, but Andy has better parents — the friends communicate with each other through angst-ridden boarding school experiences, European adventures, failed marriages, and the ups and downs of career. Over the course of their lives, Andy and Melissa’s relationship goes through many changes, as the sometimes-sweethearts/sometimes-friends go through periods of estrangement, and the intense, clandestine affair which will accelerate Melissa’s emotional breakdown. Despite the painful differences which will ultimately tear them apart, they remain each other’s most trusted confidante, and are “true lovers” on paper, if not on the earth. A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters is a tender, tragi-comic, and nuanced examination of the shared nostalgia, missed opportunities, and deep closeness of two lifelong, complicated friends.
The Cast List:
| Character Name | Actor Name |
| Younger Melissa | Maria Bunczak Schmidt |
| Younger Andrew | Benjamin Binversie |
| Middle Melissa | Valentina Fox Sales |
| Middle Andrew | Lance Odom |
| Older Melissa | Antoinette Stikl |
| Older Andrew | Paul Weir |
| Production Team | Team Member |
| Director | Stacy Madson |
| Stage Manager | Sarah Moglia |
| Set Designer | Scott Fudali / Stacy Madson |
| Set Construction | Scott Fudali & Cast/Crew |
| Lighting Designer | Scott Fudali |
| Sound Designer | Scott Fudali |
| Lighting Technician | Katherine Beeson |
| Sound Technician | Katherine Beeson |
| Props Masters | Stacy Madson |
| Box Office | Mike Jablonski |
Ticket Information
Tickets can be purchased ahead of time by visiting our online ticket site here. *Note, this will open in a new tab.
Tickets can also be purchased at the door.
Adult: $18.00
Seniors: $16.00
Children (12 and under): $12.00
For any additional show questions, feel free to drop us a note at info@westallisplayers.org. See you at the show!