Soap Stars to Appear in LOVE LETTERS at Curtain Call

Fairfield County residents and veteran daytime drama performers, Robert and Britt Newman, will appear one night only - Valentine's Day, February 14 - at Curtain Call's Kweskin Theatre in A.R. Gurney's charming play, Love Letters. Debra Lee Failla, a long-time Curtain Call director, will helm this special fundraising production.

The play centers on two characters, Andrew Makepeace Ladd III and Melissa Gardner, both born to wealth and position. They begin as childhood friends whose lifelong correspondence launches 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 is elected to the U.S. Senate. 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 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.

The Hollywood Reporter said, "That might sound like Hallmark Channel fodder to anyone unfamiliar with the play. But while this is a modest work, it's also perceptive in its examination of the moneyed class in 20th century America, the formative imprint of family, and the divergent paths of seeking creative fulfillment as an artist or the rank and prestige of public office." "I am thrilled to have these two terrific artists appearing here in this wonderful play," said Lou Ursone, Curtain Call executive director and producer for this production. "I've seen several productions of Love Lettersover the years, and the best ones have featured real-life husbands and wives," Ursone added.

Robert Newman is perhaps best known for his 28-year run as Joshua Lewis on the longest-running program in broadcasting history, Guiding Light. The role garnered him two Daytime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He has recently guest starred on House of Cards, Chicago Fire, Homeland, Criminal Minds, NCIS, and Law and Order: SVU. Film credits include Amazing Spider-Man 2, Dracano, and the short film Deadline, for which he earned the Best Actor award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 2014.

Off-Broadway Credits include Perfect Crime, She’s of a Certain Age, Sessions: the Musical, and Quiet on the Set. Regional credits include the Stephen Sondheim review Putting It Together at Delaware Theatre Company, Other Desert Cities at Cape May Stage; Gypsy opposite Tovah Feldshuh at BRT; Hunchback of Notre Dame, Fiddler on the Roof, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Deathtrap, Peter Pan, Shenandoah, and Man Of La Mancha at the Barn Theatre; Curtains at Paper Mill Playhouse and TUTS; Annie at NCT; Nine at NSMT; and A Little Night Musicand The Full Monty at PCLO. Other stage credits include Picnic, Barefoot in the Park, Romantic Comedy, Sylvia (which he also directed), and The Glass Menagerie. Most recently, Robert joined ex-GL costar, Kim Zimmer, in back to back productions of Lion in Winter and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf at The Barn Theatre and The Workshop of Nantucket, respectively.

As an actor, Britt Newman is best-known for her role as Lily Slater on the ABC daytime drama, Loving, and has done many stage productions, including leading roles in Picnic, Barefoot in the Park, Romantic Comedy, Sylvia, The Wizard of Oz, Glass Menagerie and The Fantasticks. She has also worked on various feature films, commercials and music videos. Wanting to exercise her creative juices in other ways, she launched Britt Newman Design Concepts LLC, a full scale Interior Design Firm in 2007. BNDC has made its mark in everything from corporate offices, large residential projects and church sanctuaries, to smaller, more intimate spaces, including kitchens, playrooms, executive offices, bachelor pads. As an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), and the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), Britt brings to the table a unique set of combined skills that provide clients with living spaces that are both beautiful and functional. www.BrittNewmanDesign.com

Ursone said, "It has been great reconnecting with Britt - we last appeared on screen together in 1986 on Loving. One of us hasn't changed/aged - and I don't mean me," he joked. "Getting to know Robert and sharing stories of stage productions, has been a blast," Ursone said. Failla noted that she is thrilled to be working with these two pros on this very special production.

Tickets for this special event are on sale now through the Curtain Call Box Office at 203-461-6358 or online at www.curtaincallinc.com. All seats are $40. A special dinner and show package through Zody's at Sterling is also available. Call the Box Office for details.

The remainder of Curtain Call's 27th season includes Newsies, Mulberry Street, The Boys Next Door, A Comedy of Tenors and Superman the Musical, in addition to comedy nights, concerts and interactive murder mysteries. More information is available at www.curtaincallinc.com or by calling 203-329-8207. Curtain Call is the non-profit community-based theatre company in residence at The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Avenue in Stamford. Year-round productions and workshops are presented by and for area residents in The Kweskin Theatre and The Dressing Room Theatre.

Curtain Call was voted Fairfield County's BEST LOCAL THEATRE GROUP ten years running in the Annual Readers' Poll of The Fairfield County Weekly and has received similar BEST OF awards from Stamford Magazine and StamfordPlus magazine for 2008 through 2017. Curtain Call received The Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2011 and the ACE Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture from the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.