‘Dear Jack, Dear Louise’ by prolific playwright Ken Ludwig is an absolute treasure. Based on the true story of his parent’s endearing courtship during WWII, this drama is part historical fiction, part tribute to Ludwig’s parents, and pure romance.
Louise Rabiner (Max Lynch), up and coming singer, dancer and actress in New York city, and U.S. Army doctor, Captain Jack Ludwig (Brandon Tyler) begin corresponding at their parents suggestion that they should meet. Captain Ludwig is stationed in Oregon at the beginning of their letter writing, hoping for the best. Though both parties would very much like to meet, the war has other ideas. Still the penning continues, as love blossoms and grows…
As per Ken Ludwig’s usual flair, interspersed are healthy dollops of delightfully comedic moments, such as the hilarious telling of Louise meeting Jack’s family, including his eleven aunts and malevolent sister in Coatesville, PA, and Louise’s foibles over her roommate at the Curtain Call Boarding House near Broadway.
Max Lynch as Louise Rabiner and Brandon Tyler as Captain Jack Ludwig in Ken Ludwig’s “Dear Jack, Dear Louise” at Hedgerow Theater.
Hedgerow’s brilliantly staged production, directed by Peter Reynolds, exudes an aura of touching nostalgia and jazz, amplified by superb acting on the parts of Max Lynch and Brandon Tyler, who delivered their characters with aplomb and verve. Max Lynch gives Louise an excellent energetic effervescence while Brandon Tyler imbues Jack with adorable staidness which plays well against Louise’s glorious frizzante. Along with their non-verbal reactions in combination with ingenious blocking a sense of presence and inclusion is instilled. Rather than feeling like a reading of letters, which of course it is, the particular combination of subtle lighting (Lily Fossner), sound (Emma Gibson), clever set design (Sarah Schunke), pacing, props (Laura Lee Taglialatella) and performances serve to immerse the audience into the past – an era of slower paced correspondence where words travel down from the mind to the hand, transferred through a pen onto paper, thereby preserved, requiring tactile interaction in the reading and drafting – an analog interlude of tender amour.
Immediately as ‘Dear Jack, Dear Louise’ reached its unexpected ending, there followed a standing ovation in conjunction with rounds of boisterous applause. It’s cold outside, go get your heart warmed at Hedgerow…
When you go
Dear Jack, Dear Louise by Ken Ludwig
Remaining shows run February 18th – March 8
Tickets at https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=298709 or call 610-565-4211
Hedgerow Theatre 64 Rose Valley Rd., Media PA 19063